Luke benefitted from his time with Obi-Wan.
Frodo benefitted from his time with Gandalf.
Harry benefitted from his time with Dumbledore.
Steve Rogers benefitted from his time with Abraham Erskine.
We may not know any wizards or Jedi but we all need someone who can mentor us and pass along his or her wisdom. I never had someone teach me how to use the Force but I have had plenty people show me the ropes in ministry. No one ever helped me become a Super Soldier but I’ve had people help me become a better husband, friend and pastor.
I got to spend time with someone like that yesterday.
I have a coworker who is one of the most amazing men I’ve ever met. He’s wise, insightful and wants nothing more than to pursue Jesus wholeheartedly. Spending time with him is like spending time with Obi-Wan, Gandalf, Dumbledore and Dr. Erskine together. My day was better because of the time I spent with him. My week will be better because of the time I spent with him. My life will be better because of the time I spent with him.
Luke would have never saved the galaxy without Obi-Wan. Frodo would have never made it to Mount Doom without Gandalf. There are countless people who have helped us become the people we are today. We are not the product of our own efforts. I’m sure we can identify numerous people who have invested in us, spent time with us and helped shape us into who we are today. And even though we’ve been shaped and grown up to this point, we still need people in our lives who will continue to shape and mold us for the future.
If we want to become the people God created us to be then we can never stop growing. If we want to experience the most growth possible then we need people in our lives continuing to mentor us and help us grow.
And by God’s grace we’ll turn out more like Luke and less like Anakin.
How have mentors helped shape your life?
and Capt. John Sheridan learned and benefited from his time with Ambassdor Kosh (from Babylon 5). 😉