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I met consistently with a thoughtful, tender-hearted, teachable sister in Christ for about three years. Fourteen years younger than me but a lover of Jesus for longer, she often introduced me as her mentor. The fact is, I will always believe she mentored me more than I ever did her.
An inkwell would go dry before capturing on paper all that I learned from this treasured little sister in Christ. We championed one another as we laughed, cried, and prayed together. She stunned me by driving the five hours with her five littles and showing up at my mom’s funeral. Not once but twice, we clung to Jesus and one another as we trudged together in faith through the valley of the shadow of death and made it to the other side.
Her mark on me has been life-changing and defining. Our times together were shaping for her, too. Yet, I recall with sadness how at times I stumbled and failed my little sister because I did not apply one of the greatest lessons I learned from that season:
Our priority as mentors must be to point to Jesus and look to God’s Word together always and in all matters.
The job description for mentoring surely involves sharing examples of our successes or failures.
Of course, it is exceedingly edifying to look together and examine the lives of godly women who have gone before us, as the Hebrews Hall of Fame tells us, now cheering us on to the finish. Without question, as mentors we must lean in with a kind heart and seek to hold our younger friends’ stories with gentleness and compassion.
But mentoring is not merely, and it’s not mainly, these things.
Our main job as older women is to point younger women to the Author, the Perfecter of our faith and their faith. The Designer and Knitter of all our beings who knows us and them fully. The One who sees all and knows all. And the One who loves us perfectly as we walk this road of womanhood.
Yes, let’s cheer with gusto and joy as we jog beside the younger women in our lives!
Absolutely, we should share victories and defeats from our own lives!
For sure, we must guide her as we are able in the practice of godly, reverent living! (Titus 2)
Without question, lean in with our hearts soft and teachable and be blessed and encouraged by her!
But in the end, the first importance in the business of mentoring is to lift her chin and encourage her gaze beyond us and our imperfections heavenward to Jesus, the perfect One who never fails.