(The following is the February 14 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Mark 4 and pay close attention to verses 33-34.)
Christian faith is private and public. It is private as individuals enter into a relationship with Christ and practice spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible study to grow more Christlike. But Christ does not call us to be solitary Christians. Faith is public because we live in a community of believers, the church, where we gather to worship, study, pray, serve, fellowship, encourage, hold one another accountable, and work together to advance God’s kingdom. We can experience holy moments in public gatherings.
Somewhere between the private moments with God and the larger church gatherings can be intimate moments lived in meaningful relationships with a few fellow believers. We need close friends in the faith to go deeper in conversation and life than we do with the larger church. One person cannot be spiritually intimate with many church members. We can only spend quality time with a few.
Jesus chose twelve men to be his inner circle during his earthly ministry. He often spoke to crowds, but he invested additional time with the twelve, explaining more to them than was possible with the masses. In addition to time with the twelve, Jesus had moments with just a few of them, usually Peter, James, and John. He took the time to teach, mentor, and prepare them for what was ahead. He invested in them for years to turn them into disciples who would devote the rest of their lives to making more disciples. How precious those intimate moments with the Lord must have been.
We have the opportunity and need to grow in Christ through substantive relationships with a few people. It is also quite possible that we should be mentored by someone more mature than us while we mentor someone newer to the faith than us. We can always learn from more experienced believers while helping newer ones.
Next Step:
Recall the people who invested in your Christian faith and growth. How did they help you come to faith and mature? Who in your life needs such mentoring? Are you willing to be their friend and mentor? What step can you take in being or having a mentor?
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