4 Ways to Love the Next Generation through Mentoring

Mentoring is a powerful connection between two women of faith. When I was a young woman – new in the faith – several older Christian women came alongside me, giving me a safe space to grapple with challenging situations, sharing with me how their faith grew during their struggles, pointing me to Jesus and God’s Word, and supporting and encouraging me as I navigated life.

What I Learned from Being Mentored

What I learned from those women impacted my life in immeasurable ways. Those women of faith were obedient to Titus 2:3-5:

“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”  

 

Even though I valued each of those older women, I wanted one woman to be my go-to person. I prayed and asked Joy to be my mentor. Humbled and honored, she agreed. 

Reading the book, Mentoring: Confidence in Finding a Mentoring and Becoming One by Bobb Biehl, with Joy prompted meaningful discussions about what we expected of one another. Learning the benefits each of us would experience encouraged us to enjoy the adventure of connecting two different personalities who desired to grow closer to God. I highly recommend this book!

Joy generously poured love and encouragement into me for years. Each time I struggled, she listened and pointed me to Jesus. I continue to carry her wisdom and love with me. I’m forever grateful for her.

 

Pour Love into the Next Generation

There isn’t a specific age when we shift from being younger women to older women. What does shift is a desire to follow the command to pour love into the next generation through mentoring.

With the hard pull to align with ungodly theology and participate in behaviors contrary to God’s Word in our culture, older Christian women mentoring younger women in the faith has never been more needed or more important. Satan is fighting hard to keep them from living out their faith.

These younger women don’t care about your wrinkles, or if your home is messy, or whether or not you use Snapchat. Instead, they are hungry to come alongside a woman who knows Jesus and loves to study God’s Word. One who walks out her faith, especially when she is struggling. A godly woman who is willing and eager to listen. One who will love her unconditionally.

You being authentically you is just what she needs!

 

Four Ways to Love the Next Generation through Mentoring

Over the last twelve years, it has been an honor to mentor several young women who love Jesus and desire to grow stronger in their faith. Mentoring offers ample opportunities to pour love into the next generation by:

 

1. Giving her a safe space to grapple with challenging situations. When you invite a younger woman to share what’s troubling her without judging her, she feels heard and loved unconditionally. Many of these younger women grapple with very mature issues and value the opportunity to ask questions or discuss topics that may be embarrassing to discuss with their parents or their peers.

She will feel most loved when you simply listen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Sharing the struggles you’ve faced and how your faith grew during them. When a younger woman is in “the thick of it,” she often feels she’s the only one experiencing her struggle. She can’t envision any good coming out of her tough times.

Sharing your experiences and how those very struggles deepened your faith allow her to see she’s not alone. Explaining how those struggles shaped you into the woman you are now encourages her to lean on Jesus and trust God’s best for her life.

 

 

 

 

3. Pointing her to Jesus and God’s Word. As you and I grew in our faith, we’ve likely been convicted time and again that we can’t live one minute without Jesus.

We’ve learned putting God’s Word in our mind and on our hearts strengthens us and equips us for whatever life throws our way. We love the next generation of believers when we point them to Jesus as the answer for all of life’s questions. Modeling a love and hunger for God’s Word encourages her to seek His truth for her life.

 

 

 

 

 

4. Supporting and encouraging her as she navigates life. You and I have experienced the immense value of navigating the ups and downs of life with others who supported and encouraged us. The world is a much tougher place for these younger women in the faith. A text, a call, or a letter in the mail filled with reminders of how you love her and believe she is amazing encourages her far more than you would imagine.

Oftentimes, your message of encouragement will arrive at just the time she most needs it. 

 

 

 

He Will Equip You to Mentor

You may feel you could list many reasons why you aren’t the right woman for this very important job. I believe you are!

When God promoted Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, He said, “as I was with Moses, so I will be with you,” (Joshua 3:7).

God WILL be with you. He will guide you. He will equip you to mentor (lead) just as he did for Joshua.

Encourages Her in Her Faith Walk

Need ideas of what to do or say when mentoring? War Room, available on Amazon Prime or Google Play, is one of my favorite movies. While the main theme of War Room is the power of prayer, it is also a beautiful example of an older woman in the faith (Ms. Clara) pouring into a younger woman in the faith (Liz). 

Throughout the movie, you’ll see Ms. Clara and Liz simply enjoying spending time together. Liz observes how Ms. Clara lives out her faith, which encourages her in her faith walk. Ms. Clara’s thoughtful and challenging questions are her best tools when pouring into Liz. Because of Ms. Clara’s unconditional love and support, Liz’s faith deepens, and she decides to be more committed to God.

The following clip occurs at the beginning of the movie before Ms. Clara and Liz begin their mentoring relationship, but it is an excellent snapshot of Ms. Clara infusing her wisdom into everyday life experiences. Without preaching to Liz about the importance of prayer, Ms. Clara’s subtle but powerful message makes an impact. 

 

 

Leave a reply (below): YOU, in all your uniqueness and quirks, are the perfect woman to mentor a younger believer. Your wisdom and love are just what she needs. Titus 2 woman, will you join me in loving the next generation through mentoring?

My experiences with mentoring DO NOT make me an expert, but I have gained so much by spending time pouring love into the next generation. If you’d like to chat or ask me questions about mentoring, I’d be happy to share my experiences. Send me an email: melony@melonybrown.com.