Mentoring

Something that has always been near to my heart has been mentoring, both doing and receiving. Mentoring is laid out in the Bible clearly, not as a suggestion, but as a commandment for women and I think its something very much lost in most churches today.

So many times we stay in our little groups of people who are like us, such as the youth staying together and the young married couples staying together. We all stay with people who are like us. We say hi to the older and younger people, and even talk. But who do we get close to? Naturally we, especially us women, get close to those who are going through the same things we are at this stage of life, and that is natural. 

I'm not saying its bad or it should never be like that. I have a few good friends who are young married wives like me, and we share stuff we are going through. Its a good thing to do. I am saying that so many times we miss out on the opportunity to be in a mentoring relationship like is laid out in Titus 3:3-5.

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

This talks about the older women teaching the younger to be good Christians. Notice it does not say the older wives only teach the younger wives. It says for older women to teach younger women. I think it means for us to start mentoring girls at a young age to do these things. Even before they are married we could be teaching them how to be sober (this does not mean just not drinking alcohol, but also means having a quiet spirit or demeanor or showing self-control), love their husbands etc. Before girls are ready to be married how about we teach them how to be good wives? What a change that could bring?

I have known so many girls who did not prepare for marriage, or taught about being a good wife, until they were engaged, or even married. What if an older women started mentoring the younger women before them? What a change that could bring in marriages!

I look around at some of the older women in the church and respect them so much. There are two in particular that I have gotten to know pretty well and as I watch them I respect them more and more. I watch how they are with their husband and its how I want to be with my husband. Their children are respectful and kind and most importantly obviously love the Lord. But most of all I can see their relationship with Christ. Its evident in all they do. I would love to learn from them. I could learn so much from them.

So I guess this is something to think about. Look around the women you know. Is there an older woman you really respect that you could learn from? Is there a  younger woman who you could help teach these things? Lets start something. Lets start living this Scripture out. I think it could change some things.