Friday, December 28, 2012
Something to Look For in 2013
They
are rare and extremely valuable. One
must beware of counterfeits and wannabes.
Only careful scrutiny and extensive testing will provide adequate
verification that they are genuine. You
cannot own one, but you can greatly benefit from being around them. If you can
find one in 2013, you should cherish it.
The treasure of which I write is a mentor - someone you can look up to.
The
late John Wooden, had a very successful career in which he mentored many young
men. He coached basketball at UCLA where
his team won ten NCAA national championships within a ten year period. He was named national coach of the year 6
times. He was familiar with glitz, glamour and talent, but he made a very important
distinction between someone who is good at something and someone who is good to
follow:
"The main thing to remember is there is one essential difference between a hero and a
mentor. A hero is someone you idolize, while a mentor is someone you respect. A hero earns our amazement; a mentor earns
our confidence. A hero takes our breath
away; a mentor is given our trust. Mentors do not seek to create a new person;
they simply seek to help a person become a better version of himself."
(Game Play for Life, p.6)
It
is rare for someone to take a selfless interest in someone else's well
being. It is even more rare for a successful
person to invest in the up and coming generation and for that younger
generation to listen. Thankfully those
kind of relationships are not extinct. You can find them. You can make them happen.
God
meant for our best mentors to be people within our own family. How extra special it is when a father, mother,
aunt, uncle, grandmother or grandfather truly becomes a mentor to the children
in their family. But there are other places to find mentors - church being one
of them. If believers are truly living
out their faith, they will become mentors to their families and to the young
people and children with whom they worship.
This is one of the many benefits of regular church attendance. Church people are not perfect, but church is
a great place to search for a mentor.
This
is how St. Paul envisioned it:
"Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and
wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so
they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will
know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be
good wives. We don't want anyone looking down on God's Message because of their
behavior. Also, guide the young men to
live disciplined lives. But mostly, show
them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, your words
solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing
weird or misguided, might eventually come around." (Titus 2:2-8 MSG)
Mentoring
is the best gift you can give to the next generation. Finding a mentor is the best gift you can
receive. It is something to look for in
2013. Or, maybe it is your turn to be that mentor?
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