“To Mentor
or Not to Mentor...”
By Susan Klein
“...train the
younger women to love their husbands and children,
to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home,
to be kind and to be subject to their husbands,
to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home,
to be kind and to be subject to their husbands,
so that no one will
malign the word of God.”
Titus 2: 4-5
In
the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, a woman named Evelyn is floundering in
her marriage and feels as if no one takes her seriously. She is struggling with
her identity and purpose in life. While visiting a family member at a nursing
home, she meets an older woman who befriends her and regales Evelyn with
wonderful tales of her past. As Evelyn returns each week for more of Idgie’s
inspiring stories, she begins to develop a newfound confidence in her womanhood
and builds a lasting friendship in the process. Idgie becomes a mentor of sorts
to Evelyn through just being her friend.
It
seems such a simple concept. The older woman befriends the younger woman and
helps her by sharing her own life-experiences. In return, the older woman has
made a new friend and can look forward to more sweet visits! It’s a win-win situation!
So
why does this not happen more often in our society today? Don’t we all have inner cravings to have an
older, wiser woman to invest in us and guide us through life’s difficulties? On the flip side, haven’t we all been through
situations that we have come out the other side of with more wisdom and
strength? Couldn’t we be sharing with
those younger than ourselves?
When
I became a believer in Jesus Christ, a sweet older man made it his mission to
mentor me for a time until I could understand my newfound faith and get my
bearings as I rambled through God’s Word. It was as simple as meeting for soup
a few times. As he taught me to memorize three verses in Romans, he told me something
I will never forget. He said, “If you only memorize three verses in your entire
life, you will still have three verses to share with someone who does not know
them.” I love that man, and believe his
words apply to all aspects of my Christian walk. When the Lord works in my
life, I bring Him glory just by sharing those experiences with others He places
in my path.
We
don’t necessarily have to make a “ministry” out of our mentoring, rather just
be willing to share with those who are in need.
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
What younger woman has God put in your life that you could share some of your
experiences with?
2.
Ask God to lead you to an older woman who would enjoy your fellowship as much
as you’d enjoy gleaning from her wisdom!
FURTHER
READING:
Susan is a We Women Bible
Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She and her husband Mark enjoy
tutoring and working with inner-city youth.
