MENTORSHIP

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When it became twenty five years I had been running my diagnostic center practice, I felt it was time to employ a younger Medical Laboratory Scientist who I would groom up to run the practice with me and perhaps direct the affairs when I retire. After a number of trials, I found one quite suitable so I poured my experience, knowledge and charisma into him. Exactly five years later, the young man felt not only had he learnt enough from me, he had also completed the five years the Nigerian government had directed that professional freshers should spend learning under another accomplished professional before venturing into their own practice. He left me and made me go back to square one!

Who is mentoring you and who are you mentoring?

 Hear what the Bible says,
 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak...and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided...and he crossed over.  The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.  (2 Kings 2:13-15 NIV)

Mentorship is the process of transferring the spirit of accomplishment from a mentor into a mentee. The big question is what type of spirit is transferred in the process of building others up? What does the mentor possess to give out? 

In 2 Kings 2, the Bible tells us that Elijah the great prophet of God had a pool of mentees described as ‘sons of the prophets’, among whom Elisha stood out as a devoted follower. Towards the end of his ministry, Elijah made a round trip to the schools of mentees from Gilgal to Bethel, to Jericho and finally to Jordan. Elisha stayed glued to Elijah on that trip, and, despite the scorn of the other mentees everywhere they went, and by sheer resilience, he coveted double the Spirit of his mentor. He received it, and thereafter ended up as the mentor of all those who witnessed the conferment of the double anointing of Elijah on him. (2 Kings 2:15). He too founded the school of ‘sons of the prophets’ (2 Kings 6:1-2).

In the Bible, mentorship is referred to as discipleship. It is the transfer of wisdom, faith, knowledge and skills through relationship to another generation of believers. The ‘discipler’ imparts moral behaviour, spiritual truth, and builds up newer generations in knowledge, wisdom and understanding such that these too would pass on the same (2 Timothy 2:2).

From this we learn the following insights applicable to both our secular and spiritual lives: 1) Mentors are expected to live lives worthy of emulation. 2) They should guide their mentees by modelling Kingdom principles. 3) They should provide their mentees with direction, teaching, and encouragement. 4) Mentees should follow tenaciously the example of their mentors. 5) They should acquire wisdom and authority, ultimately equipping themselves to lead others in the ways of the Kingdom. 6) Mentees must live a righteous and obedient life so as to receive the measure of anointing required for success in their calling.



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