1. Set ExpectationsWhile mentoring relationships are as varied as the mentors themselves, some constants remain. At the beginning of the relationship, set a duration. This way, both mentor and mentee have a starting and stopping point, which may be helpful as mentees are typically in a transitional phase of life. Some mentorships last a lifetime, but some will last for an agreed-upon number of months.2. Set a FocusIn your mentoring relationship, specific areas of growth will come into focus as the two of you spend time together reading the word and applying it to your lives. Once you learn what areas are important to your mentee, ask God to help you find materials, scripture references, and other resources to meet that need.3. Be AvailableIn our hurried technological era, one of our most quickly vanishing commodities is time. Time is one of the most valuable resources we have. When you commit to giving your time to someone else in fellowship and reading the Word together, God will do the rest. His word confirms that He will be in your midst, and with the Holy Spirit among you, He acts as teacher and counselor. (Matthew 18:20, John 14:26)4. Be Flexible/TransparentWhile mentoring, it may be helpful to have an agenda, but it is just as critical to be willing to put that agenda aside when you sense things with your mentee are moving in a different direction. Be open to answering questions about your life, including some of your areas of weakness that your mentee can pray about with you. While you will probably want to reserve your most difficult challenges for prayer partners or Christian friends whom you have been walking with for a while, it is good and healthy to relay to your mentee challenges that still place you at the feet of Jesus in prayer.Mentoring is unscripted; at times, the path can be unknown. This is a commitment to be with another person who is hungry for Jesus, as you allow God to quietly build a relationship that ultimately inspires spiritual growth in both of you.References: Davy, Keith and Evangeline Vergo. “Practical Advice on How to Be a Mentor.” Cru.org https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/help-others-grow/mentor-four-tips.htmlPhoto Credit: ©Unsplash/Priscilla Du Preez
Cantice Greene is a writer and college professor. She is committed to helping students and professors stay connected to Christ in college. She draws writing inspiration from life with her family, including four children and her husband, a licensed minister. Learn more at https://canticegreene.com and recommend her 7-day devotional “Giving God my Best in College” to a college student in your life. Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/canticegenglishphd/
