Spiritual Mentoring and Parenting
Teaching Spiritual Mentoring and Parenting
Mentoring
A spiritual mentor may wear many hats as their role isn't always clear-cut. A spiritual mentor may often take on other roles such as spiritual parent, teacher or a number of other tasks. A spiritual mentor may be a teacher, but they also have other distinguishing characteristics. Teachers love information and are eager to pass it on to their students.
A spiritual mentor may play the role of a coach or merely be there to confirm things are being done correctly. They may also be assigned as a spiritual parent, encouraging students to press on to greatness. This is frequently done through strict coaching and correction.
Although the Bible teaches the eyes of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, and He would instruct and teach, God uses humans servants to be the catalyst in completing this assignment.
The question that needs to be answered is, “What do I need for this eternal journey?” One must know what they need. Do they want to be a mentor, a teacher, mentor/teacher, teacher/trainer, or a spiritual parent?
The one sent to lead, and the one being led must know and accept their spiritual roles. Different ones may appear when the need is there and once their task has been completed may move on to another assignment.
Identifying Wants and Needs
First you must identify what your needs are. Once you know this, you can seek someone who can meet them.
God stands ready to assign what you need, but the one He assigns can impact or impart only if the relationship is identified and accepted by both parties. Although, what you are identifying may not be all you need initially. Others may be sent later to meet them. Those God has assigned to you are there to help fulfill your eternal purpose.
Many pitfalls exist when one is ready for a leader to come alongside them in their spiritual journey. The first and foremost is unconditional surrender to the Lord and the annihilation of all pride. As one humbly submits to the Lord, that one can accept and be grateful for whom the Lord sends to lead. The believer may be expecting this mentor to be a pastor or some other spiritual superstar. However, it could be the one sitting next to you in church.
Because of pride, one may not be open to receive anyone but a pastor, or some other spiritual icon. Both however, may be too busy with other assignments from the Lord to be available for this assignment. Or the Lord may also know the believer is not ready for the kind of leadership the pastor or leader are charged by God to do.
Some pastors may have the time to be mentors. That's fine and well however, some pastors try to be a spiritual mentor to every member of the congregation. This could cause a pastor to become a prime candidate for pastor burnout.
Spiritual re-parenting is not a clear-cut role. Therefore the relationship may be fraught with numerous landmines. This is a holy relationship, a godly assignment, and if one loses sight of that, Satan enters in and thwarts the divine purpose.
Mentoring, Teaching, Training, Spiritual Parenting
When a mentor is assigned by God to lead someone on their spiritual journey, the mentor can expect to spend much time with them. Sometimes the leader has been assigned to be the protege’s teacher. If that one is only a teacher, they must hope and pray the protege learns. It's of paramount importance the protege must be willing to learn.
In the assigned role of a spiritual parent, the mentor re-parents:, sometimes in natural things of the world and then moves on to the spiritual things. They bring parental love into the relationship that the protege missed in childhood.
The one God sends for spiritual parenting, has been assigned an awe-inspiring task. They need to walk closely with God and perform deep intercessory prayer. If a mentor has been assigned to be a spiritual parent they have a monumental assignment of calling forth children sometimes hiding in grown-up bodies. They must administer love, acceptance, guidance, and spiritual knowledge.
