Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20
Although we have dwelt a lot on the dangers of unsound advice, it doesn’t follow that there is no place for sound mentorship, coaching and counselling. There certainly is! Whoever walks with the wise will become wise. That means wisdom can be learned from others.
By the way, what does a good mentor do? A good mentor helps people become more of who they already are. They don’t necessarily remake you in their own likeness. An effective mentor serves as a model of success in a given area.
Although not all shortcuts are good cuts, in a sense a good mentor helps you take worthy shortcuts in life. She or he enables you to avoid repeating the mistakes she or he made. As a mentee you benefit from the experience, skill and knowledge of your mentor. You do NOT need to reinvent the wheel. You don’t have take the same length of time pioneers used to achieve their goals. You can benefit from their tried and tested principles, solutions and methods.
Who do you think are your very first mentors in life? Of course, your parents are your first mentors. Have you noticed how children progress rapidly in life, even long before they go to school? Parents make excellent mentors and models continually available for the first few years of the typical child’s life. The problem is that once we get to a certain age, we become presumptuous. We deceive ourselves that we no longer need mentorship. That’s precisely when our growth stalls!
Think about how much further your life, career and ministry could go with the benefit of relevant mentors. Don’t shortchange yourself. Don’t go round and round in circles trying to figure everything out for yourself. Don’t be afraid to seek mentorship in specific areas of your life. Personally, I have benefitted a lot and am still learning loads from various mentors.
Every successful person relies on a network of relevant mentors. Make good use of the spiritual, relational, financial, business, ministerial and other mentors available for you. For instance, your Pastor is your primary spiritual mentor. Strive to learn as much as you can from him or her. Above all, remember that whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Keep on growing. Have a blessed day!
Pastor Josh