Notes To Allan: Explode Your Spiritual Growth with Two Words

1 Cor. 4:16

Paul the Apostle: “I urge you to imitate me.”

Here is a powerful phrase. Every believer should use it. “Imitate me!” We should all have understudies as we follow Jesus. This simple idea will do more to grow you spiritually than any other activity.

When someone is watching and learning from you, it changes how you live – ask any parent. I invite people to “imitate” me because it is good for them, but even better for me. We both grow.

Every Christian can mentor someone! Let me tell you how.

Should you walk up to someone and say: “Hey, imitate me!” Probably not. But you could try some variations.

Synonyms:

Let’s meet to read our bibles and talk about what we learn?
Sit with me in worship, then I’ll drive you home and we can chat about the service.
Would you like me to teach you to pray?
Can I show you how to lead a bible study?
Join my group and lead with me, you can take on the leadership when I am on holiday in three months time.
Let’s catch-up for coffee and I’ll tell you what I have learned about confession and forgiveness.
Have you ever fasted? I could share my experience and we could do it together.
I remember when my kids were young, it is a hard stage. Would you like to catch-up and talk about parenting?
Could we meet weekly and pray together as you grow in your new faith?

You get the point. Learning occurs where there is an opportunity to see and do. This is how children acquire language (and much more!). It is how Trades are taught. And it is how people learn to follow Jesus.

Offer yourself. Find a new Christian or a young believer and get along side them. Offer yourself as a “pattern” for their emerging walk of faith. Don’t worry that you are not good enough. No one is! Just do your best and you will be surprised how you start to do better when you are being “watched”.

Tell your Pastor, youth leader or children’s ministry leader that you are available to be “imitated”. Refer to 1 Cor. 4:16 first so you don’t freak them out. It seems risky to say: “Imitate me”. But if you think about this it is the very best way (perhaps the only way) of discipling the next generation. Offer yourself as a mentor.

We fear this a little. We worry about looking proud or failing the people we mentor. But there is huge power in saying: “I’ll give it a go and try to set a pattern for you. Come along side me and do what I am learning to do. We’ll grow together”. God will help you. He will give you grace.

Have a mentor yourself. Who are you learning from? Who is your Paul? The act of being mentored will help you to mentor another person. If you're a recent believer and you have never been mentored, ask a Christian whom you respect to read this post and take up the challenge with you.

There are dangers. Mentoring has an element of power that can be abused. The goal is not cloning. We want to help others grow, not churn out little copies of ourselves. Give people a pattern not a prescription. Point them to Jesus. Pray for them. Let them grow free.

If you make yourself available to others as a guide and example it will explode your spiritual growth. Teachers are the real learners. Get involved in someone else’s spiritual growth, it will bless your socks off!

Questions