Posts tagged Jesus

So, yesterday was a little hectic for me, to say the least. Because of the madness, I was not able to give you a “Favorite Friday” post. Sooooorryyyyy!

In return, I’m giving you a post that I wrote entitled “Modern Day Mentoring”. It’s much longer than my normal Friday posts so I hope that will do!

Modern Day Mentoring

In a time when being independent reigns supreme the concept of mentoring is forced into a questionable position. Does the younger generation need older, more knowledgeable people to mentor them? Absolutely!

Though situations have changed extensively over the last decade, having a mentor remains incredibly important in the life of every youth. Yes, things have changed over recent years with such advancement in technology, making it harder for older people to relate on that level, but hard work and life experiences could never be replaced by such advancements.

Being 23 years old myself, I have witnessed a vast number of my peers give into the mindset of what society portrays as “independence”. The “I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, and no older person can tell me different because they can’t relate to what I am going through” mindset. It’s the complete opposite of any generation in the past.

Jesus mentored his disciples. Michelangelo had a mentor. Thomas Edison had a mentor. Abraham Lincoln had a mentor. Martin Luther King Jr. had a mentor. What lessens the importance of mentoring today? Nothing.

Having a mentor is important no matter what age you are. There doesn’t come a time in life when an individual can no longer grow within themselves.

Some of you may be thinking, what makes having a mentor so important?

• They serve as an open ear. A mentor is someone to talk to. To share your problems with. Someone to listen when no other person will.
• Mentors are typically older than you and have essentially experienced more in life. Even if they haven’t been through your exact situation, they have probably experienced a similar case and can throw some form of helpful insight your way.
• They serve as “co-dreamers”. A mentor should be there to dream with you. I know many younger people who feel “stuck” and don’t really know what they want to do with their life. A mentor should explore options with you and motivate you when doubt creeps up.

So, yes, having a mentor is important, but how do I find one?

• If you are connected within a church in your area, finding a mentor there is a great option. Get connected and search out the perfect person for you.
• If you have family members or friends that are well connected in your field of interest, ask them to provide people for you to meet up with.
• If you know of a person in your city that you think would be a great mentor for you, find a way to get in touch with them and just grab a cup of coffee. Who know what can come out of one conversation?

Never be afraid to ask someone to mentor you. I know many people that want to have a mentor but are afraid to ask. That should never be the case. Older people love it when a younger person asks them for help. It makes them feel good about their position in life and the fact that people look up to what they do.

What’s stopping you from either finding a mentor or being a mentor yourself?

The Twelve Apostles were a pretty odd and reckless group of individuals. They were all different, yet the same. So wrong, yet so right. All were under twenty, aside from Peter, so you know that the other eleven had a lot of energy and spoke their mind, just as teenagers do today.

Some of the guys were single, some were married with children. One was from the city, the rest were from the country. Some were in the same family, some probably didn’t know their family. Some had their own family business, some worked in politics. Matthew worked for the Roman IRS and Simon the Zealot hated the government. Your college roommate and the guy who your dad didn’t want your sister to hang around. Two people that should have fought constantly, both in the same group, learning from the same leader.

It rarely was an issue though because they all loved Jesus and that’s all that mattered. When Jesus is behind something, he can use any type of person to pull through. These guys were an interesting pack that worked so perfect because they complimented each other’s strengths.

If you think about that in the way of societies present mentality, these twelve should not be the people that the son of God would be the most closely associated with. He should have been picking people like Donald Trump, P Diddy, Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, you know, the richest and most powerful type. But He didn’t. Thank God he didn’t.

Jesus, the son of God the Creator, chose people who didn’t have influence. Didn’t have worldly respect. Didn’t have much to offer in general. But they did have a life that could be molded into something special.

Jesus doesn’t care about your status. He doesn’t care about how much money you have or don’t have. But, he does care about your heart and your life as a whole. All it takes is for you to get over yourself and let Him know that you want a different life.

Money doesn’t provide eternal happiness.

Fame doesn’t provide eternal happiness.

Living a life with Jesus and fulfilling your job here on Earth provides a happiness that soars higher than anything society portrays and it lasts for all of eternity.

God wants to be in your life. You just have to want Him back. 

This weeks Mystery Monday post is an excerpt from my chapter in A Makers Dozen with Shane Claiborne. Enjoy!

“It doesn’t get much better than Mother Teresa’s line that says ‘we’re not called to be successful, we’re called to be faithful’, said Shane.

‘We, as Christians, understand success differently than the world around us. We don’t measure it by money or degrees, but we measure it by Jesus and Jesus triumphed by a cross. That is the weirdest idea in history. The God of the universe comes down as a king that dies for his enemies rather than killing them. In our day, that doesn’t look like success at all. I don’t think you can have the victory of Jesus without having the death of Jesus. We don’t share in his resurrection until we share in the death.’

‘For Christians to be successful, I think that means we have a collision with the dominant culture around us. We begin to question the counterfeit success that the world offers with promises that happiness can be purchased or that violence can bring peace. That’s the counterfeit success. That’s where Jesus would challenge the way that Rome brings peace is different than the way that Christ brings peace. So we don’t measure our success off of the market or the war in Iraq, we measure our success off of the scandalous grace and love of the cross and that’s what we’re called to follow. As much as we’re called to follow his resurrection, we’re called to follow His selfless love.’

If you truly want to live out the life of Christ, rethink the ways that you were taught, rethink the ways that society portrays Christians. Be the generation that gives Christianity the powerful and loving name that is should be.

We are all a part of something BIG. Jesus is still alive in us. Awaken the church. Show the world what the real life of someone who follows Jesus is all about.”

Check out my two e-books entitled A Makers Dozen and Juice Box Living, HERE!

Also, follow on me on Twitter at @zachwind