Do it anyway

I recently had dinner with some friends that have had a mentoring ministry for many years. Part of the vision for this ministry is to have self-supporting young adults join the team, so a home was purchased to give them a very inexpensive home base (room and board for far less than anywhere but living at home), in part so that they could be mentored by my friends in preparation for mentoring others. As it turns out, there are a number of young adults that want to share in the exciting work of mentoring, but that struggle to understand and act upon the need to be self-supporting. The thrilling, hands-on work of ministry is followed by time idly spent, “waiting for the Lord,” as it were, to give direction to their lives. It is a picture of the worldview that one must “know” what his or her life will be spent doing before spending any time doing anything. Where are faith and faithfulness in that? Where is doing all things as unto the Lord? Where is the maturity? Indeed, growin’ up is hard to do, but that does not mean that it should not be done!

As I spoke with my friends, I was struck by the severe short-sightedness (immaturity) of the eager young people in the situation. Indeed, I could not imagine a more wonderful opportunity than they had, being squandered more fantastically than they were squandering it. Mentoring others takes maturity. Sustainable, believable mentoring means living up to one’s responsibilities. This was lacking severely in these young people. Their gifts for the work of this ministry will eventually be seriously undermined if they do not grow up, and grow up soon. There many Bible verses that come to mind when thinking about this, but I Corinthians 13:11 brings immediate clarity.

The first eight verses of First Corinthians 13 are very familiar. They speak of what love truly is and is not, but they are followed by an interesting comment in verse 11, before finishing with familiar words again in verse 13. I Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” It is time to give up childish ways! It is time to set aside the world’s view of perpetual adolescence and be responsible. It is not spiritual in the Christian sense to simply “wait for the Lord” if we are not acting within the boundaries He has given us in His Word to show responsibility for our lives. That is immaturity at its height. That is childishness. It is also selfishness.

In my current unemployment, I must fight the same childish self-centeredness and must daily challenge myself to look for what the Lord would have me do to support my family. I am working while waiting. I ply my hand to this direction and that, praying for God to work His will in my life (our lives) and knowing that He will answer that prayer. Sitting on my hands accomplishes nothing (literally!).

This mentoring ministry is close to my heart and to the passion God has given to me for Christian education. If it were possible to support my wife and children and to be part of this ministry, I would love to do it. However, the Lord has already placed some wonderful (and much younger) people for this work, and this dear organization would be greatly blessed by their full participation. I am praying that these young people will do the hard things (thanks, Alex & Brett Harris!) necessary to grow up and give up childish ways. It would not be a detriment to themselves at all. It would only benefit their ministry and themselves. I know from my own experience that growin’ up is hard to do. Do it anyway.