Christian Leadership Alliance
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A Mentoring Model from a Biblical Example
Bob Buford, in his excellent book entitled Halftime, speaks to the issue of longing to move from success to significance. For many, significance will come more through mentoring others than anything they could accomplish on their own.
While mentoring has been greatly emphasized within organizational literature since the 1970's, this dynamic phenomenon dates back to ancient mythological Greek culture when Odysseus entrusted Mentor with his son. There are many definitions of mentoring but a common thread is the focus on investment from a senior individual to a junior individual, guiding them to success. It is my sense that mentoring is the ability to stand outside of a mentee's life and note the past and present influences while at the same time guiding them toward the integrity needed to make sense of where they are and move toward their life calling.
While research into the concept of mentoring is largely positive, there are some caveats. Sometimes mentors and mentees feel somewhat violated in the process. Mentors can feel cheated by having too little impact on mentees or consumed by the time required in the mentoring relationships. Mentees sometimes feel disillusioned because they expected far more than they received. For those passionate about mentoring others well, knowing practically how to best invest into another is vitally important. A distinct Biblical model of how to mentor can be observed through the Apostle Paul's interaction with his younger protégé Timothy.
Conservative scholars tell us that 2 Timothy is the last letter we have penned from the Apostle Paul. In this letter Paul is guiding Timothy toward the fulfillment of his life call. 2 Timothy is written from a cold Roman prison, likely within weeks of Paul's death that would come through the tyrannical persecution of Nero. Timothy could be considered a mid-life professional around the age of forty and in need of a father figure to guide him in the very difficult assignment of pastoring the church at Ephesus. It is remarkable to note the wisdom of Paul as he relates to Timothy as a mentee.
Perhaps the most notable characteristic of Paul and Timothy's relationship is that these men were passionate about the same causes. Both wanted to live a life worthy of their calling and impact as many people as possible in church work. Parker Palmer in his thought provoking book entitled The Courage to Teach speaks about the dynamic of a mentor longing to extend his life to another, and a mentee longing to have his life filled with what a mentor could give. Effective mentoring relationships are those where each chooses the other. One of the reasons that some mentoring relationships leave a wake of disillusionment is because of an improper fit between the mentor and mentee. In Paul and Timothy, we find two men with common causes and passions. This may be one of the most basic principles for exploring correct fit in a mentoring relationship.
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