Mentor or Mentored

Scripture:
1 Peter 5:1-5 (NASB)

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.  You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Devotional:

Growing up we all had heroes, someone we looked up to and respected above all others.  As we grow older our role models can change.  At different times in our lives we have different people who influence us the most.  Looking back to my middle school and high school days there was an older teen, young adult who took time out to make a difference.  One week in the summer our church was doing a revival week.  The evenings were full of different programs and things to do.  On the first I felt as if I had nowhere to go.  I was at an age too old for the younger group and too young for the older, high school group.  I was sitting under a porch in a stairwell going into the basement of the parsonage.  While sitting by myself with nothing to do and nowhere to go somebody stopped and took notice.  David was heading into the basement when he saw me sitting there.  He took a few minutes to get to know me and made me feel welcome in their group.  As the years went by His example was a marker to help me stay on the right track.

Over the years I have learned that we are in three different types of relationships with fellow Christians at any given time.  One type of relationship is that we are mentors to someone else, like David was for me.  The other is the fellowship, accountability relationship.  We have friends who help hold us accountable and are our support.  The third relationship we become mentors for others.  We help shape and mold them into the Christians God wants them to be.  Who in your life is in one of those three roles for you?  Who are you in one of those roles for?  Be a mentor, a friend, and allow someone to be a mentor in your life.