Yesterday, I wrote about mentoring from a leadership angle. But, in Christianity, there's another term for mentoring -- discipleship.
In Matthew 28, Jesus tells his followers to go into the world and make disciples. That passage even defines what it means to become a disciple. It says that the disciple would do all the things that Jesus commanded.
The process is relatively simple, but lengthy.
That's because to make a disciple out of an individual requires a lot of time, energy and patience. In much the same way that it takes time to train a new hire, or time to raise children, it also takes a lot of time to teach new Christ-followers what it means to be a disciple.
The Bible gives us all the instruction we need to mentor a new believer. It is our manual to living like Christ. But, how do we transfer the lessons taught in the scriptures into lessons learned by the believer?
One of the most difficult things that can occur to a new believer is for them to learn and apply the scriptures by themselves. They need people to come around them and guide them through the application process.
Now, you don't need to be a biblical scholar to become a discipling mentor. In fact, the typical believer needs input from many other Christ-followers to fully grasp the life God has in store. And, it's a lifelong process of growth.
So, what are we to do? If you are a Christian, look for new believers who you can come alongside of and begin discussion their transformation and the Bible. Try to answer their questions as best as you can. And, if you don't know the answers, go find out and report back to them.
If you are a new Christian, the best thing you can do is to seek out the most Christ-like people around you, and start to ask questions. See if they are willing to spend an hour each week to help you understand the Bible better.
There is no such thing as a lone ranger Christian. We do life together. Who can you help in their walk with Christ?
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