According to the dictionary, a “mentor” is defined as a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. Proverbs 19:20 instructs us to “listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.” One way we can do this is through having a mentor.

Although the word mentor is not specifically used in the Bible, there are many examples of mentorship throughout scripture. For instance, Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro, Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, as well as Paul and his church planting apprentice, Titus.

Mentors can be a great source of accountability, encouragement, and growth in your personal relationship with the Lord. Meredith Mulvihill says of her mentor Tara Wilson,

“I am grateful for the way Tara is willing to open her home and share her stories - both successes and times of struggle with me. By spending time with her and her family, I am learning what it looks like to follow Christ as a wife and (someday) a mom.”

Seeking wise counsel through mentors fosters a mutual sharpening in our personal relationships with the Lord. In our culture, life is constantly moving which makes us vulnerable to distractions and sinful ways. By “doing life” with a mentor, you can be encouraged by their actions and daily living of the Christian faith.

Micah Newton is a Junior at Texas A&M University and has been member of New Life since the Fall of 2015. Over the past year, he has been able to find a loyal mentor in Clayton Mulvihill. Micah stated,

“Clayton is not afraid to call me out on my sin, and doesn't just let me know that grace covers me. While that's the most important aspect of fighting sin, he is also stern with me about the issue and always serves as a source of encouragement and accountability.”

Having strong believers in your life, who are walking with the Lord, can help point out those areas of darkness and spur on our pursuit of holiness. We are warned in Psalm 36:2 that we can be blinded by our own sin: “For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.” This is where seeking wise counsel for accountability purposes comes into play.

Holiness is a lifelong journey that cannot be done without the Lord’s power and a daily choice to follow Jesus and resist worldly temptation. Consider this an encouragement to humble yourself, seek out a wise, older person that you admire, free up your schedule to include time with them and open your heart to hear the wisdom the Lord may share through them.

“Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.” Proverbs 11:14