The Impact of a Wise Mentor Have you ever been impacted by the words and actions of a wise mentor? When God brings that special person into your life, it’s as “iron sharpens iron”. Both the mentor and the counselee grow from their interaction together. My mentor showed up in my life when my children were still very young and her spiritual influence will be felt for generations. How did she do it?
Using the acronym of I-M-P-A-C-T. I hope to share a few tidbits about my mentor’s affect on me.
I- Insightful Experiences My mentor doesn’t hold back her good or bad experiences to teach me important lessons. Since her children were grown, she had a wealth of knowledge to help me make the best decisions. Her guidance shaped me to become a more patient, loving, and kind mother—I learned to not take my children for granted. M- Motivate towards Purpose For a long time I wasn’t sure what or where God wanted to use me. I dabbled in many things, but nothing seemed to be the right fit. My mentor honed in on what she could see was giftedness from God to build the kingdom of Christ. To this day, she still always centers my vision towards the purposes of God.
P- Patient Training I don’t pull punches when it comes to what I believe. Yet even if I’m dead wrong, my mentor gently and patiently advises me towards righteousness. She recognizes the difficulties I face in marriage and motherhood so she trusts that I will come around in time without badgering.
A- Acceptance of Who I am One of the most precious gifts my mentor has given me is the freedom to be completely myself around her. I never worry about trying to impress her. In her presence I let my hair down and keep it real. She’s a safe person to share my hurts and joys.
C- Cautious in Advice There are times when I may not feel like doing the right thing. Because of our open relationship, I freely share my doubts, fears, and anger. While she gives me the freedom to open up, she cautions me to stay in the safe place of God’s hand. Our friendship has grown even when we don’t agree a hundred percent of the time. T- Truthfulness Grounded in the Word What I love most about my mentor is that she feels my pain in so many ways; yet she never compromises the Word of God to accommodate my feelings. She is intimately engaged in prayer and study of God’s word. The fruit of her life mirrors the love she has for her Savior. Have you experienced this kind of I-M-P-A-C-T? If not, begin praying and asking the Lord to send you a godly mentor so that you will one day mentor in the same manner.
Crystal McDowell cmac_77@yahoo.com
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