September 11 – Training your mentee to the south

“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” – Philippians 2:8-10a 

Scripture reading: Philippians 1:27-30

For the early years of my ministry as an ordained minister, I was assigned a mentor. I had all the information my seminary training could stuff into me but, there is a big difference between knowing a thing and putting what you know into practice. Praise God that the mentor assigned to me, my mentor to the North, was godly, patient, gently humorous, and faithful in meeting regularly. Learning to laugh at ourselves keeps pride away. Appropriate humor can take the sting out of correction.

Look at what Paul commands the Philippians. Their lives are to be worthy of the gospel of Jesus. It is easy to be a Christian while you engage in your morning devotions, but hard to put your faith into practice when you are facing an enemy who wants to hurt you. Paul was writing the Philippians from prison. He knew the hardships of living in obedience to Jesus, while others reviled him.

As a mentor to the North, caring for a new Christian—a mentee to the South—listen to the challenges he is facing. Explain how you worked through your own failures in Christian living. Encourage the person with whom you’re meeting to do the next right thing. Help your mentee to overcome fear by learning to see Jesus as Paul describes Him in Philippians 2, the reigning King before Whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess Him Lord. Regularly instruct your mentee that being a Christian means being willing to suffer for the glorious Name of Jesus.

Suggestions for prayer

It is a great challenge to leave one’s life of sin and live in obedience to Jesus. Pray for those who are new Christians, that they will grow strong in the Lord and find deep, warm, Christian fellowship.

Rev. Richard T. Vander Vaart and his wife Carolyn are now in their seventh year living in Moncton, NB. with Redemption Prison Ministry as a pastor in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of Canada. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com