God created my heart with a desire to help others and in that, engage in authentic relationships. In helping others I am learning to love others as He loves me. The desire to live and love as Jesus did is a seed planted within all of us. Like the monarch butterfly, I am being transformed, and Lord knows I need a mentor on hand.
The dictionary says a mentor is a trusted counselor and guide. That sounds like our Lord, and where He guides, He provides—a firm foundation and a safe space for communication—praying. A mentor is one who will coach, counsel, pilot, usher, or direct. He may oversee, tutor, or shepherd another, and quite often, some pruning is necessary to make the transformation complete.
The Bible teaches us in John 15 what Jesus told us about the importance of pruning. “I am the true vine. (Followers are the branches.) Every branch that does not bear fruit must be cut off, while every branch that does bear fruit must be pruned so that it will be even more fruitful.”
A photo from 2019 reminds me of the principle of pruning. The peach trees in Noah’s fruit garden, which produced zero peaches in the past two years, are loaded with blossoms this spring – so many that he must remove some. Otherwise, the peaches will be so heavy the branches will break off. Noah aggressively pruned those trees last fall. I remember. And Noah is a follower. Noah remains close to God, and the teachings of Jesus, and, in turn, bears much fruit in helping others. The principle of pruning for a greater harvest of love, and even fruit, is exemplified when we stay close to God and listen to Him. He gives assurance as we follow His lead.
Psalm 32, verse 8. “I will instruct you and teach you how you should go. I will counsel those willing to learn and be with you, keeping my eye upon you.”
God brought Jesus down to earth to instruct and mentor us. We may get our counsel through the teachings of the Bible, through the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment, or through the people God places in our daily path. My encouragement comes from all of the above. My counsel comes from God and those He sends me.
That reminds me of a series of episodes I recently found streaming on Pure Flix. In Going Home, a hospice nurse cared for and counseled her patients toward a good death, in peace and without pain. The lives she touched – patients and their loved ones – were God-inspired relationships. At the end of every day (and episode), the nurse sat on her deck, overlooking the Smokey Mountains (my guess), and received God’s counseling. Sometimes, their talk began with a breathtaking sunset, and she would say, “I see You started without me”. She asked to be pruned of incorrect feelings and judgment, and asked what His plan was for the survivors left behind. Why, God, did you give me that particular person to mentor? She always closed in thanksgiving for the opportunity to lead her patients home. That nightly prayer became mine.
Who do you mentor? Who has mentored you? Trials will be there, but God doesn’t leave us to figure it out on our own. In the end, on judgment day, He will say, “Good job” to a faithful servant.
With God as our Mentor, helpful pruning will keep us growing and transforming as we learn His Way and His Will. He trims the attitudes and habits that do not serve us well. At first, the pruning might be painful and seem unfair. But it does help us grow. And I love peaches!
