Recently, I read an interesting thought about King David. People often wonder how King David could commit adultery and arrange for someone’s murder, yet still be called a man after God’s own heart. This person’s theory was that it wasn’t because David was perfect, or even nearly perfect. It was because when Nathan confronted David about his sins, David listened and repented. King Saul, on the other hand, tended to make the situation even worse whenever Samuel confronted him with his sins. How each man responded to the prophet God sent them – their mentor of sorts – made all the difference.
The teens or children in your ministry won’t have mentors who are prophets. Their mentors won’t get direct revelations from God in the way prophets did. They will, however, be mature Christians who can give those young people crucial advice at a critical stage in their spiritual development. They, not unlike Samuel and Nathan, can also help mentees face their sins and encourage them to repent.
The success of Christian mentors depends a lot upon the attitudes of their mentees. Are the teens or children being mentored more likely to respond like Saul or David when given godly advice? It is a question that should be regularly discussed with all of the young people being mentored.
Secular research shows us mentoring makes a difference in the lives of young people. BYU did a study and found that teens who were mentored were 50% more likely to attend college. Other studies have found that disadvantaged students who are mentored are twice as likely to attend college. That is a significant positive difference!
Your mentors have spiritual goals, but one would hope the results could be equally as positive for the young people being mentored. Mentors don’t micromanage the lives of their mentees, but they are there to listen, provide guidance and advice and help young people overcome obstacles – including sin. Encouraging the young people being mentored to respond more like David than Saul to godly advice will enhance any mentoring relationships.