Read 2 Timothy 2:1–2

Our world is full of folks who dream about making something of their lives. But that private dream can remain dormant without a personal boost.

In an issue of Harvard Business Review, I read a fascinating article on the Jewel Tea Company. It was the title of the article that first grabbed my attention: “Everyone Who Makes It Has a Mentor.” It is an account of three successive chief executives who have played important roles in the shaping of that organization—handpicked men who were once young and promising yet inexperienced and who needed a break to fulfil their dreams. Somebody had to take a risk. Because somebody was willing to do that, a nobody “made it” and became a somebody. The principle isn’t new. It has biblical roots.

Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. (2 Timothy 2:1–2)

Mentoring is the current term for discipleship, transferring truth and life lessons down to the next generation. Like Potiphar with a nobody slave named Joseph. Like Paul and Barnabas with a nobody teenager named John Mark. Like David with a nobody disabled prince named Mephibosheth. Like Jesus with a nobody fisherman named Peter. Each one became somebody because somebody believed in him or her when they were nobodies—and taught them the things of God and how they feed themselves His Word.

As I look back over my life, my mentors deserve the credit for keeping me on my feet. Do you have someone building into your life? Are you actively mentoring a young man or young woman in the things of God? What a priceless experience for both the mentor and the “mentee.”

Devotional content taken from Good Morning, Lord...Can We Talk? by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2018. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.

The full devotional can be purchased at https://www.tyndale.com/p/good-morning-lord-can-we-talk/9781414380681.