Find A Mentor That Fits Into Every Area Of Your Life

Before January 2024, I struggled to advance spiritually for 2 years. I had read all the books written by the mentors I liked. I visited the bookstore every other week until I bought all their books on the shelf. I had access to deep insights through those books, but I still felt a vacuum. I needed something stronger and deeper than I was getting. At some point, I thought something was wrong with me. My thoughts made me cry to God in prayer - asking Him to help me. Surprisingly, He told me I needed a mentor who would feed me spiritually. 

Praying for a mentor was my major focus during my 21-Day prayer retreat in January 2024. And Suddenly, God connected me to a man whose depth crashed my knowledge vault. Everything I knew became like child's play compared to the mysteries he taught. If you've observed my teachings since the year began, you'd discover that they sound more compelling than they used to. And that's because I encountered a mentor. Vehicles traveling long distances would often need to stop-by at a refuelling station. This is because, no matter how healthy a vehicle may look, it won't reach its destination if fuel is inadequate. 

Counsellors, mentors and teachers are like refuelling stations, it is often what they say to us that keep us going on the path of life. Everybody needs at least one of these people. The bible says "your ear shall hear the voice of your teachers saying "this is the way, walk in it”". Many people are not advancing in life only because they don't have a teachable spirit; they think they're too big to be taught by anyone. God gives us pastors after His own heart; but when it comes to choosing our teachers, it has to be after our own heart.

If you don't have a heart to be taught, then you can't submit to a teacher. And that also means you won't advance in life. Every person who teaches me is a teacher to me. Recognize the position of your teachers; they'd always have something to say. You should note that mentors are in levels. Find the ones that are at least close to your level. Any one in your field who has gone extremely far from your level isn't a mentor, he's a role model. From experience, people who depend on role models alone rarely go far in life. If you want to go into politics, don't look for the president of the United States to mentor you; look for someone who has recently crossed the level you're currently in.

A mentor is a person who has gone at least one level ahead of you in your field. Even if the US president would agree to mentor you, he'd assume that you've been in politics for some time. As a writer, I won't run to John Maxwell for mentorship; rather, I'd look for young writers who have gone a little bit farther than I have. At John Maxwell's level, he may have forgotten the basic principles required to start; but for a young writer, those principles would still be fresh on him. And relating it would be easy.

Trust me, if you miss the basics, you'd live with headaches. You may grow beyond your mentors, just like David did. But when this happens, maintain gratitude, aim higher, then look for another mentor. You can never go higher than yourself without a mentor. This was why I began to pray for a new mentor. However, take caution, never despise your mentors; because even though you may grow to be better than them, you may face God's judgement if you disregard them. Still listen and read from them; give them reports, no matter how well you may have grown.

The bible says we should obey them that have rule over us, because they watch over our souls. And the fact that you've grown better won't change that scripture. This is why I often admonish my old students to always read my write-ups, no matter how experienced they may have become. Also, from time to time, I check on many of them to see how well they are doing. Life without a mentor will be flooded with errors. In case you still don't have a mentor, do all you can to identify with one. And if you desire that I mentor you, I'd be glad to.