Presenting ...
... a weekly letter of encouragement.
Singapore
August 2, 1995
Good Morning!
ISOLATION AND LONELINESS are two of Satan's
master strategies in "getting to" business and professionals
who carry demanding responsibilities.
One way to counter this SUBTLE DRIFT TOWARD ALONENESS
is to seek out a spiritual mentor. Let me suggest seven
benefits (We'll cover four today and three next week):
FOCUS - We need people around us who will help
us maintain crisp spiritual and career goals, and assist us in
developing strategies for achieving them; people whose lives
model "focus". Certainly St. Paul serves as an example:
"...This one thing I do: forgetting what lies
behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on
toward the goal...the call of God in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 3:14, 15)
WISDOM - A mentor can help us access skills,
tools, concepts, ideas and resources in achieving our goals.
He can also serve as a wise model. Paul reminds Timothy of their
mentor-protégé relationship:
"But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose,
faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings..."
(II Timothy 3:10, 11a)
ENCOURAGEMENT - We all need people who will encourage
and believe in us:
"...You know how we were...encouraging...each one of
you as a father would his own children, that you may walk
in a manner worthy of the God who calls you..." (I Thessalonians
2:11, 12a)
NETWORK+ - Once you have won his trust, a mentor
will access you into his network. St. Paul was a master at connecting
people, often operating his ministry with teams of men. No Lone
Ranger here:
"And (Paul) was accompanied by Sopater... Aristarchus...Secundus...Gaius...Timothy,
Tychius and Trophimus..." (Acts 20:4)
Over the years it has become apparent to me that the believers
who choose to isolate themselves spiritually from their peers,
and who miss out on a mentoring relationship, run a HIGH RISK
of developing SPIRITUAL IMBALANCES and set themselves
up for MORAL FAILURE.
My prayer is that you are having a great week!
Dwight Hill
+ Adapted from "Mentoring Today", Bobb Biehl -
Spring 1994
© Copyright 1996 Dwight Hill. Unlimited permission to copy or use is hereby granted subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.
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