Care should be taken when mentoring our youth

Mentoring cannot and must not ever be taken lightly. There are possible great outcomes to mentoring and there is also the possibility that mentoring can yield negative outcomes.

One of the keys to successful mentoring is that while you are encouraging others you should not become the “god” or “idol” of that mentee. That is very dangerous.  

A mentor must always keep in mind that while they are being used as a wonderful help, they are not the ultimate help. God is. 

In other words, the mentor ought to guide the mentee towards the One who guides them. 

In that way, both the mentor and the mentee can go to God for themselves. 

Guided

Why? In essence, both mentor and mentee are ultimately being guided and kept by God. When the mentor-mentee relationship gets to the point that God is no longer truly in charge, that relationship will cross a line of safety, and that is when the mentor can direct and misdirect the mentee.

2 Timothy 1:1-2

I, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus,

2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul makes it plain in his writings that he is not the giver of mercy and of peace. 

That is vital, for it will always cause Paul and young Timothy to seek to love, worship and honour God. Paul honours God and Timothy will honour God.  

It must not be that Timothy will honour Paul instead of God. No! That would be idolatry and result in Paul and Timothy being lost.

One of the greatest weapons of the devil is the weapon of division. Divide and conquer. 

The enemy would love to divide one generation from the next. That essentially will destroy the proper mentor-mentee relationship that should be in existence.

 Instead, there will be a great divide between the generations that will result in unrest in the community.

Previously, Paul had established a relationship with young Timothy. Paul returned to check on such a one. 

Paul was checking on his son in the gospel, Timothy. Paul knew that when he was with Timothy the last time, Timothy was focused and filled with the joy of Jesus Christ. Timothy was focused and excited and Paul needed to find out how he was doing. 

Paul must care for him and be sure to warn him against the attacks that will come to steal him away from the purpose, plan and destiny that God had upon his life. 

Purpose

Please note that as long as you live, you live with the breath that GOD gave you. Hence, the only way to truly live a life that is filled with purpose is to live that life according to the life-giver.

Paul was right on track as he encouraged Timothy to stay focused.  

3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day[.]

As we read about the lives of Bermuda’s seniors, they continue to mention that God has kept them. Our seniors give place to God in their lives and they speak to the younger generation concerning their faith. 

That is the same mindset as the Apostle Paul. Paul was praying for Timothy. Paul was talking to God about Timothy. That made sense since Timothy must walk in the destiny that God had for his life. 

Until the younger generation hears the “Pauls” speak about God, there will be a continuous decline in the moral standards of the society. 

In a mentor-mentee relationship, parents, you must be careful in knowing that Paul is truly a Paul and not a “Saul”. Selah! RESPICE FINEM.