The mentoring role of the more mature toward the younger, so critical in the early church, has been largely lost on the modern church. In his pastoral letter to Titus (Titus 2:1-8), the apostle Paul admonishes Titus to teach the older men and women to teach the younger. This principle is echoed in what is commonly said about mentoring in the church, “All of us should be a Barnabas, pursue a Paul, and train a Timothy.” In order for this to occur it will require those of us who are on the mature side to remain relevant and look for opportunities to invest in those who need us most, and likely rearrange our lives in a countercultural way so that we are available to do so. It will require those of us in our younger days to recognize the value of connecting with those who have experienced much more of life than we have, and intentionally pursue opportunities to learn from them.
It’s likely you have more than one Barnabas in your life right now. But be really honest with yourself, who’s your Paul? And, who’s your Timothy? Does your schedule reflect your answer?
Something to think about.
Britt
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