When David Livingstone, the missionary pioneer, was working in Africa, some friends wrote: “We would

like to send other men to you. Have you found a good road into your area yet?”

Livingstone wrote back: “If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t
want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.” (In Reader’s Digest [8/89], p. 143.)

By way of contrast, a cartoon in Leadership (Summer, 1988, p. 81) poked fun at the low level of
commitment required in many modern churches. It pictured a church building with a sign in front which
read, “The LITE CHURCH: 24% fewer commitments, home of the 7.5% tithe, 15 minute sermons, 45
minute worship services; we have only 8 commandments--your choice. We use just 3 spiritual laws and
have an 800 year millennium. Everything you’ve wanted in a church ... and less!”

As one pastor put it, “Ninety per cent of our parishes across the country require less commitment than
the local Kiwanis club.” (Wayne Pohl, in Leadership, Winter, 1982, p. 95.)

Down through the ages, whenever God has done a significant work, He has done it through a band of
committed people. God doesn’t work through the lukewarm, but only through those who are fervent in
their love for Christ and His kingdom.

This was the case when David’s kingdom was established. Through David’s reign, the name of the Lord
God of Israel was published far and abroad. But great as he was, David did not stand alone. Surrounding
him were a band of mighty men who accomplished great feats of valor. They were committed to David
and his kingdom. We read of them in 2 Samuel 23:8-39.

If God is going to accomplish a great work among us, then He wants to raise up a band of mighty men in
our midst who can do great exploits for God. In saying “mighty men,” I am not excluding mighty women,
but I am emphasizing the need for strong men of faith. While the Bible teaches the equality of the sexes
in personhood and in standing before God, it also teaches that God has ordained different roles for the
sexes (1 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:8-15). The New Testament makes it clear that God desires men to be in
spiritual leadership in the home and church. The church today--this church--needs a band of mighty men
like these who surrounded David.

What characterized these men? A study of this text reveals that there were two salient marks of these
mighty men: They were attracted to David’s person, and they were committed to his cause. Similarly,

The church needs mighty men who are attracted to the person of Christ and committed to the cause of
Christ.

These two characteristics are related. It was the attraction to David’s person which motivated these
men to commit themselves to David’s cause. Even so, it will be our attraction to the person of the Lord
Jesus Christ which will motivate us to commit ourselves to His cause.

1. The church needs mighty men who are attracted to the person of Christ.
David’s men were not unwilling conscripts who grimly fulfilled their duty. They were willing volunteers
who served out of devotion to David. The love these men had for David can be seen in the incident
described in 23:13-17. David was hiding from Saul in the cave of Adullam. The Philistines were in
Bethlehem, David’s home town. David thought back to the cool, clear water which he used to drink from
the well in Bethlehem as a boy. So, perhaps without thinking, he exclaimed, “Oh that someone would
give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!” (23:15).

It was certainly not a command. Probably David would not even have verbalized his desire if he had
known that these men would risk their lives to fulfill it. But he mentioned his craving, and like lovers
listening for a hint for a gift for their beloved, these three men slipped away and brought the precious
gift to David.

David was so touched that he could not drink the water, but poured it out to the Lord (23:16-17). He
thus acknowledged the sacredness of the devotion of these men and his own deep appreciation for their
love. David knew that these rugged warriors loved him enough to die for him. They undoubtedly shared
a close bond of love.

Let’s see what sort of men were attracted to David:

A. THE MEN WHO WERE ATTRACTED TO DAVID:

(1) They were men of diverse backgrounds. As you skim over this list, you will find a variety of obscure
places from which these men originated. Some, such as Uriah the Hittite, were foreigners. None of them
seem to have anything noteworthy regarding their families or home towns. There are a lot of hick towns
mentioned. (Someone has defined a hick town as a place where you can park as long as you want to, but
you don’t want to.)

But there was one thing which united these men--they were all attracted to David. He was their hero
and rallying point. In 2 Sam. 21:15-17, David, who was getting older by this time, grew weary in battle
and was almost killed. But Abishai, one of the mighty men, slew the giant who almost killed David.
David’s men then told him that he would not go out to battle with them again, “that you may not
extinguish the lamp of Israel.” They were men of diverse backgrounds, but they were all drawn together
because of their attraction for the lamp of Israel.

Even so, though we in the church may be from various educational, economic, geographic, family, and
even racial backgrounds, we can be a unified band because we are all attracted to the Light of the world,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He has captured our hearts, and because we love Him, we love one another, no
matter how different our backgrounds.

(2) They were men of difficult backgrounds. Note 1 Samuel 22:2. These were not Sunday School boys.
They were men who were distressed under the reign of Saul. They were in debt. They were
discontented. It was a motley crew which gathered unto David in the cave. They were men with
problems, with things in their pasts to overcome. But David accepted them and trained them into his
loyal, fighting troops.
In the same way, the Lord Jesus does not require that you solve all your problems before you come to
Him. He accepts those in distress, debt, and discontent and molds them into a band of mighty men for
His cause. In fact, those who are self-sufficient and self-satisfied will not be attracted to the Lord Jesus.
But like these men, those who feel the pain and poverty of a life lived under the current ruler of this
world will see the beauty of the anointed King in waiting, and they will gladly join themselves to Him.

These men, attracted to David, were from diverse and difficult backgrounds, but they were drawn to the
person of David. What sort of person was this?

B. THE PERSON TO WHOM THEY WERE ATTRACTED:

(1) A rejected person. When these men were drawn to David, he was a fugitive, running for his life from
Saul. As such, David is a type of the Lord Jesus, who came unto His own people, but they did not receive
Him. Following such a rejected Savior won’t make us popular with the ruler of this world and his
followers. But still we must join the rejected King and share His reproach (Heb. 13:12-13).

But why follow a rejected David in the cave? Why follow a crucified, rejected Savior? He was also...

(2) An anointed person. Some men may have rejected David and followed Saul, but God had rejected
Saul and anointed David. He was God’s choice. By allying themselves with David, these men became the
enemies of Saul. By making David their captain, they declared themselves to be in rebellion against Saul.
They were men who had exchanged masters and they now served a different kingdom, a kingdom yet to
come, the kingdom of God’s anointed, David.

In the same way, we have submitted ourselves to the Lord Jesus as God’s anointed, His Messiah, His
Christ. We believe that He is coming again to establish His kingdom. We willingly choose to become
enemies of the domain of darkness and this present evil world system in order to further the kingdom of
God’s anointed. He is our Captain!

So the first mark of a mighty man in the Lord’s church is that he is attracted to, captivated by, the person
of the Lord Jesus. Men, may I ask you a very personal question? How is your love life--not with your
wife, but with Christ? Is your relationship with the Captain of our souls marked by duty or devotion?
You’ve got to work at recovering that first love for Him as your first priority!

The attraction which these mighty men had for the person of David motivated them to commit
themselves to the cause of David. Even so,...

2. The church needs mighty men who are committed to the cause of Christ.

In David’s day, there were enemies to be overthrown and kingdoms to be repulsed and conquered so
that the people of God could dwell securely in the land, the worship of God could be established, and
the name of God exalted among the heathen nations.

In our day, the powers of darkness must be repulsed and conquered, the people of God must learn to
worship Him, and the name of God must be proclaimed to every tribe and tongue and nation. In other
words, the Lord has not simply called us to sit around in a holy huddle. There is a cause--the great cause
of Christ--the cause of world evangelization. Those who are attracted to the person of Christ must
commit their lives to the cause of Christ. Consider with me...

A. THE CAUSE:

(1) It is a great cause. It is nothing less than the cause of God’s kingdom. There is no greater cause!
Surely David’s mighty men realized that David’s kingdom was the center for God’s kingdom upon earth.

God’s kingdom is a kingdom which spans the ages. God had promised Abraham that He would establish
a great nation from his descendants. He promised David that his house and kingdom would endure
forever (2 Sam. 7:16). The kingdom of God goes back in history and extends forward in history. And we
have the privilege of advancing His kingdom in our day.

It is also a kingdom which spans the nations. God chose Israel to be a light unto the Gentiles. Today the
church is to proclaim His kingdom to the uttermost parts of the earth. There is simply no greater cause
then the cause of Christ!

(2) It is a team cause. David, as great as he was, anointed of God, could not have accomplished God’s
purpose alone. He needed his mighty men and the rest of his faithful troops to pull it off.

Even so, the Lord Jesus has not called us to be a bunch of isolated great people for His cause. It is a team
effort. We are part of the Body, and every part is essential. True, not all of us can attain to the greatness
of these mighty men. But we all are on the team, and we all have important tasks given to us by our
Captain.

Because the cause is a great cause and because it is a team cause, every person must commit himself
wholeheartedly to the cause. Note the commitment of these mighty men.

B. THE COMMITMENT:

(1) A commitment which overcomes the odds with faith in God. Note 23:8, 9-10, 11-12, 18, 21 (a 7 1/2
foot giant, acc. to 1 Chron. 11:23). In every case these mighty men faced insuperable odds. But note
23:10, 12: “the Lord brought about a great victory.” These men weren’t considering the odds for victory;
they were looking to the God of victory.

Let’s face it: the odds are against us when we serve Christ. The world has us outnumbered. We face
situations which seem overwhelmingly against us. But there are always enough people sitting on the
sidelines pointing out the size of the giants in the land. We need some mighty men whose commitment
to the cause overcomes the odds with faith in the living God.

(2) A commitment which endures exhaustion. See 23:10. Eleazar was so tired he couldn’t open his hand
after the battle was over. I don’t know how long it took Adino the Eznite to knock off 800 men on one
occasion or how he did it (23:8), but you can be sure that he was exhausted when it was over.
You can count on being tired if you commit yourself to serve Christ--not tired of serving, but
tired in serving. But it is a great feeling to go to bed at night exhausted from serving the cause of Christ.

(3) A commitment which spurns the attitude of the crowd. Note 23:9-12. The Israelite warriors had fled.
The people of God were in retreat. If you had taken a vote, it would have been a landslide in favor of
surrender. But these mighty men ignored the majority and stood alone for God. The cowards returned
to gather the spoils (23:10). They benefited from the courage of these men whom they would have
called fools a few hours earlier.

If the church is going to go forward and conquer for Christ, it can’t be operated as a pure democracy.
The majority often capitulates to the world. But God is looking for mighty men of commitment who
spurn the attitude of the crowd, who take a stand for Christ, and win great victories for Him.

(4) A commitment which takes the initiative. These mighty men were not passive. They were not just on
the defensive--they were on the offensive as well. Note 23:20-21. It’s impressive enough to kill a lion in a
pit--but to do it on a snowy day! Wow! Most of us would have been glad to leave well enough alone if
we happened upon a lion in a pit on a snowy day. But this guy Benaiah went after the lion and killed it!
He also went after this 7 1/2 foot Egyptian who had a spear: “May I borrow that please? Thank you.
Zip!”

Do you know what is one of the greatest blights in Christendom today? Passive men! Chuck Swindoll
once asked a Christian counselor what was the number one problem he faced in counseling Christian
families. Without hesitation the counselor replied, “Passive males.”

Men, why is it that with many of you, your wife must take the initiative in spiritual things? Why is it that
if the children are going to receive any spiritual training in the home, your wife must be the one to do it?
We need mighty men in the church who will take the initiative in spiritual leadership. That
does not mean barking commands at your family! It means setting the example in love for Christ and in
serving your family and others.

(5) A commitment which risks life itself, if need be. These mighty men all risked their lives because of
their commitment to David and his cause. During the early years of the Africa Inland Mission, more of
their missionaries died from the harsh jungle conditions than Africans became Christians. The area
became known as the white man’s graveyard. But still the missionaries came. But they began arriving
with their belongings packed in coffins. The Africans were amazed with this determination. They said,
“Surely only a message of great importance would inspire such actions!”

As a comfortable American Christian, it’s hard to relate to that kind of dedication. I don’t know whether
you or I will ever have to face the possibility of risking our lives for the cause of Christ. But I do know
this: if you have been a convenience Christian--one who attends church when it’s convenient, who
supports the cause of Christ financially when it’s convenient, who is willing to serve Christ when it’s
convenient--then you won’t risk your life for the cause of Christ if it ever comes to that.

Conclusion
God wants to raise up a band of mighty men who are attracted to the person of Christ and who are
committed to His cause. Perhaps you’re thinking, “Where do I start?” If your heart has grown cold and
complacent toward Christ, then start there. The Lord directed the church at Ephesus which had lost its
first love to “remember from where you have fallen and repent and do the deeds you did at first” (Rev.
2:5). Remember what the Lord has done for you. Take the time to spend alone with Him in His Word
each day. Work on your love life with Jesus. It is drudgery to labor without love.

But it is laziness to love without labor. So once you rekindle that first love for Him, then get off the
bench and commit yourself to His cause in this church. “Do the deeds you did at first.” We need men to
work with our youth, to work on repairing and maintaining our facilities, to lead Agape Families, to build
other men in Christ, to be involved in missions. Commit your time, effort and money to the great cause
of Christ as we seek to make Him known in this community. Let’s not be “the Lite Church, home of fewer
commitments.” Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. With the hymn writer Isaac Watts, our response
must be,

“Love so amazing so divine

Demands my life, my soul, my all.”

The Power of Faith

Find Power in your inbox with God's Word

Christy Wimber

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How important is faith? It takes faith to even believe in Christ; it takes faith to
believe that what God says is always right and true; and it takes faith to trust and
walk in that each and every day. However, if you’re faith doesn’t continue to grow
in your relationship with Christ, you won’t have the faith to see God’s Kingdom
come not only in your life, but in the lives of those around you.

Whatever faith you have inside of you will determine the outcome of the faith
level you’ll have for God at work around you. If you don’t have faith for God to
move, there’s a good chance you won’t be looking for anything to take place.

Do you realize that the message of your life; what you spend your time, money
and energy on will scream how much faith [belief] you have put in Christ?

When we read all through the Gospels we see how Jesus loved and always
responded to anyone that had faith. He loved it. He loved it when those placed
their full trust in Him. (Matthew 8:5-13; Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 5:21-24; Luke
19:1-10).

Also, what’s so amazing is that Jesus said you don’t even need a lot of faith.
Jesus in fact said that just a little amount can move mountains. In other words
just a little faith can do amazing things in your life and in the lives of those around
you. (Matthew 17:20; 1 Corinthians 13:2).

Jesus said our faith could be compared to a mustard seed. What’s interesting is
that a mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. But it also is a seed. A seed is
worth more when it continues to grow. You water and feed the seed of your faith
by giving it nourishment. We get nourishment by reading Gods Word;
worshipping; praying. All those things feed the seed of faith in your life. (Matthew
17:20).

Hebrews 4:16speaks that we should have confidence; which actually means

faith—to approach God’s throne of grace. Saying you believe is one thing..
Walking that out, day in & day out is another… Lets break it down…what faith is
and why faith is so important.
Why Faith is Important

Without faith it’s impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him
must believe that he exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
(Hebrews 11:6)

Jesus is the object of our faith, reliance and hope.

 John 14:6
Where does our faith come from?

 Romans 10:17
Q: If the Bible says our faith comes from God; what does that say about us when
we place faith in other things?

Faith is a gift, and gifts are imparted.

 Ephesians 2:8
Since faith is a gift; just like all the other gifts - that means you cannot earn it. It’s
a gift. It’s given to you; all you have to do is ask, and after you ask believe that
it’s yours. It’s now time to walk in it.

We can also ask God for more faith.

 Luke 17:5
Believing what God says to us is true; even if we don’t see it happen right away.

 Look at the lives of those that lived lives marked by faith in Hebrews 11.
The interesting theme in Hebrews 11 is found in the great stories of the amazing
people that have gone before us is that these people believed in what God spoke
to them, even though some didn’t see things come to pass in their lifetime. I’m
sure they were disappointed or confused at times not seeing things come as they
had thought; yet they had confidence in their God.

Q: When you don’t see things happen for you when you think they should, what
response do you usually have? Do you still continue to go forward or do you start
to question God?

Faith is a Verb

Being full of faith is one thing; However, It’s not just about saying you believe—its
actually doing something to show how much you believe.

Most people don’t share Christ with others or step out to pray for them because
they’re afraid to be embarrassed, afraid to be rejected. However if you want to
see God move in the lives of the people around you; taking risks is a part of
stepping out.

It’s important to remember; “What if no one shared Christ with you?”

 ReadJames 1:22; 2:14; and 2:21-22; and see how faith and deeds work
together.
Faith is spelled R.I.S.K. (John Wimber)

Having a strong faith in what Christ has done for you should be enough to
compel you to share God with others. If you don’t share your faith in Christ,
something isn’t right.

Think about the things you talk about. You usually talk about things that are most
important to you. Who a person is eventually makes its way out of their mouth.
You talk about what you truly believe in. If you’re relationship with God is so
important to you, and you understand that Christ himself has rescued you from
hell, then of course you would want others around you to not only be saved, but
to also experience and know Him as well.
Don’t think about the risk so much as the great opportunity you have too be a
bridge for others to experience God almighty. Don’t think so much about what
could go wrong; instead ask God to fill you with faith to share.

Don’t be one that wishes they had stepped out more.

Theodore Roosevelt

“It’s not the critic who counts; or the man who points how the strong man
stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs
to the man who is actually in the arena --who at best, knows in the end the
triumph of great achievements, and who at the worst, if he fails at least while
daring greatly. His place will never be with those cold, timid souls who know
neither victory nor defeat.”

Q. How important do you think it is that we share our faith with others.

Jesus said: Matthew 10:32-33

Application:

 The Apostles said: 1 Peter 3:15

Application:

 ReadActs 1:8 and write how you think this passage talks about how we share
our faith.
Application:

Q. In what ways do we share our faith with others?

 The only Bible many people around you will read will be YOUR life.
 Your life story is the most powerful message you carry. What God has and is
doing in your life.
 Matthew 5:16
Application:

 Serving others: Matthew 25:34-40

 Forgiving others: Matthew 5:23-24; Luke 17:3-4
 Loving your enemies: Matthew 5:44
 Bearing the fruits of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22
How to Share Your Faith with Others

1. First, explain God’s purpose & peace (Romans 5:1; John 3:16; John 10:10).
2. Most people choose to be separate from God. They don’t have the peace
& abundant life God’s planned for them. God created us in His own image
to have abundant life, but He also gave us a free will- with freedom of
choice. (Romans 3:23; 6:23).
3. That means our attempts (good works, religion, philosophy, and morality) to
reach God fail (Isaiah 59:2).
4. The bridge to God is the cross (1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Peter 3:18; Romans 5:8).
5. Therefore, God has provided the only way. However each person still must
make the decision themselves if they desire to receive Christ. Its each
persons own individual responsibility as to whether or not the will say yes to
Christ.
6. We must trust Christ ourselves as our Lord and Savior and receive Him by
personal invitation (Revelation 3:20; John 1:12; Romans 10:9).
7. Remember to talk with the person on a personal level. Again your story and
what God has done in your life is very powerful. Also, it’s not about how
‘together’ you are now; it’s about how you know that in spite of your
weakness’ you have met the One that can make all things new!
Personal Reflection

When was it that you first found faith in God?

What was your experience like? Was it a physical reaction when you first felt like
you experienced or saw God for the first time? What did it feel like to you?

What was it that made you first believe?

Do you feel like your faith is often challenged?

If so, what emotions do you go through? Do you feel guilty for questioning what
you believe?

What is the best way you have found to fight unbelief?

When you feel a lot of faith, why is that? Is it something you did, or something
you prayed or did you just feel at times that you have a lot of faith for God to
show up?

What did that feel like personally to you?

If faith is walked out means risk taking is a normal part of the Christian life do you
find that you’re a person that loves to take risks in life? Why or why not?

We Are Risk Takers

God created us to be able to take risk and provides biblical support for taking risks (Genesis 1:28-
30; 2:15; Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27; John 12:24). We are created in the image of a risk-taking
God, who took “risks by making a distinct creation and a free humanity to rule it.”[1] God created us
so we feel risk, but we know God will provide.[2] However we also have much biblical teaching to be
prudent in our risk taking.[3] Gregersen defines risk as the sum of natural events, social events and
the meaning these hold for a person.[4] Gregersen quotes Luhmann who argues that trust is a risk-
willing position, creating a virtuous cycle between trust and risk. Gregersen argues that the Bible
teaches “the world is created by a benevolent God in such a manner that invites a risk-taking attitude
and rewards it in the long term.”[5]
Human attitudes toward risks are crucial in finance. People are willing to take some risk but not too
much, and the amount varies by individual and circumstance. This ability to take risk along with an
aversion to taking risk unnecessarily is part of God’s creation design. God in his wisdom created us
with an innate ability to balance the risks and rewards, and we see this reflected in financial prices.
With this awareness we can recognize that a risk understood and managed is consistent with God’s
creation design.
 A Call for Christian
Risk

Article by

John Piper

Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org

By removing eternal risk, Christ calls his people to continual temporal risk.

For the followers of Jesus the final risk is gone. "There is now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). "Neither death nor life . . . will be able
to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 3:38-39).
"Some of you they will put to death. . . . But not a hair of your head will perish" (Luke
21:16, 18). "Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).
When the threat of death becomes a door to paradise the final barrier to temporal risk
is broken. When a Christian says from the heart, "To live is Christ and to die is gain,"
he is free to love no matter what. Some forms of radical Islam may entice martyr-
murderers with similar dreams, but Christian hope is the power to love, not kill.
Christian hope produces life-givers, not life-takers. The crucified Christ calls his
people to live and die for their enemies, as he did. The only risks permitted by Christ
are the perils of love. "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those
who curse you, pray for those who abuse you" (Luke 6:27-28).
With staggering promises of everlasting joy, Jesus unleashed a movement of radical,
loving risk-takers. "You will be delivered up even by parents . . . and some of you
they will put to death" (Luke 21:16). Only some. Which means it might be you and it
might not. That's what risk means. It is not risky to shoot yourself in the head. The
outcome is certain. It is risky to serve Christ in a war zone. You might get shot. You
might not.
Christ calls us to take risks for kingdom purposes. Almost every message of American
consumerism says the opposite: Maximize comfort and security - now, not in heaven.
Christ does not join that chorus. To every timid saint, wavering on the edge of some
dangerous gospel venture, he says, "Fear not, you can only be killed" (Luke 12:4).
Yes, by all means maximize your joy! How? For the sake of love, risk being reviled
and persecuted and lied about, "for your reward is great in heaven" (Matthew 5:11-
12).
There is a great biblical legacy of loving risk-takers. Joab, facing the Syrians on one
side and the Ammonites on the other, said to his brother Abishai, "Let us be
courageous for our people . . . and may the LORD do what seems good to him" (2
Samuel 10:12). Esther broke the royal law to save her people and said, "If I perish, I
perish" (Esther 4:16). Shadrach and his comrades refused to bow down to the king's
idol and said, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us . . . But if not, be it
known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods" (Daniel 3:16-18). And when
the Holy Spirit told Paul that in every city imprisonment and afflictions await him, he
said, "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may
finish my course" (Acts 20:24).
"Every Christian," said Stephen Neil about the early church, "knew that sooner or
later he might have to testify to his faith at the cost of his life" (A History of
Christian Missions, Penguin, 1964, p. 43). This was normal. To become a Christian
was to risk your life. Tens of thousands did it. Why? Because to do it was to gain
Christ, and not to was to lose your soul. "Whoever would save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 16:25).
In America and around the world the price of being a real Christian is rising. Things
are getting back to normal in "this present evil age." Increasingly 2 Timothy 3:12 will
make sense: "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
Those who've made gospel-risk a voluntary life-style will be most ready when we
have no choice. Therefore I urge you, in the words of the early church, "Let us go to
him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting
city, but we seek the city that is to come" (Hebrews 13:13-14

When God removed all risk above

He loosed a thousand risks of love.

Risk Is Right
Better to Lose Your Life Than to Waste It

by
John Piper

A choice lies before you: Either waste your life or live with risk. Either sit on the
sidelines or get in the game. After all, life was no cakewalk for Jesus, and he didn’t
promise it would be any easier for his followers. We shouldn’t be surprised by
resistance and persecution. Yet most of us play it safe. We pursue comfort. We spend
ourselves to get more stuff. And we prefer to be entertained.

We are all tempted by the idea of security, the possibility of a cozy Christianity with
no hell at the end. But what kind of life is that really? It’s a far cry from adventurous
and abundant, from truly rich and really full, and it’s certainly not the heights and the
depths Jesus calls us to.

Discover in these pages a foundation for fearlessness. Hear God’s promise to go with
you into the unknown. And let Risk Is Right help you see the joys of a faith-filled and
seriously rewarding life of Jesus-dependent abandon!
Risk Is Right is a significantly expanded version of a previously published
chapter in the book Don’t Waste Your Life

“There are a thousand ways to magnify Christ in life

and death. None should be scorned. All are important.
But none makes the worth of Christ shine more
brightly than sacrificial love for other people in the
name of Jesus.”

Courage and Risk Taking

Related Media

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The following is a modified transcript of the audio teaching by Dr. Ken Boa from the leadership
series on the subject of courage and risk taking.
Today we’re going to be looking at the important leadership principle of courage and risk taking
and God’s perspective on what it means to be a man who takes risk, who lives with courage in
this world, a world of ambiguity and uncertainty.

We’re called to live our lives in a way that manifests real courage. C.S. Lewis wrote, “Courage is
not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” That means at the
point of highest reality a chastity or honesty or mercy which yields to danger will be chaste or
honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful until it became risky. The fact is
courage is a powerful quality that animates all the other virtues in your life because to have the
courage of your convictions and to follow through requires then a measure of risk in this world,
particularly if your convictions are based upon revelation. Particularly also if they’re based upon
a transcendent reference because then it’s going to invite us to pursue and treasure the invisible
and the not yet more than the visible and the now. That is a tremendous risk for man to take
because to obey God means that we treasure the unseen. The things that are seen are temporary.
The things that are unseen will endure forever.

I want us to turn first to a central passage in scripture for courage and risk taking. In Joshua 1,
God encourages Joshua before the conquest of the Promised Land and He repeatedly gives him
this word of comfort and encouragement to be strong and courageous. This has to do with the
transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua.
Joshua 1: 5-9, “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have
been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and
courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to
give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which
Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may
have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you
shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written
in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not
commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your
God is with you wherever you go.”
I want you to notice some things that God gives him here on this verge. They’re on the verge of
conquering fortified cities and armies. These are people who were not really well equipped. They
were a people who were nomadic shepherds and for them to go against this kind of opposition
would require and enormous amount of courage. There are 3 things God gave him in this text.
The first thing God said, He reminded Joshua of His faithfulness to keep all His promises. God
reminds Joshua how He had been faithful in keeping covenant and in keeping His promises with
His people from the very beginning. God’s saying; I’ve pledged to give this land to my people
and I’m going to fulfill that pledge. Yet your success will not rest indeed on a military strategy or
even on a well-trained army but your success will rest on the faithfulness of My promises. That’s
the main idea.

The second thing that God does is He commands Joshua to meditate on His word. You cannot
really take risks of obedience if your mind is not being renewed in this world. If you are not
embracing an eternal perspective in this temporal world your mind will be conformed to the
world system and you will not be able to go against the current culture. To obey God means that
you go against the current of the culture. It is often counter cultural, counter intuitive, for us to
follow these things that He commands us to do for our good. Unless we are renewing our minds
with this transcendent biblical perspective, you’re not going to do it and you’ll buckle under the
pressure and give way to the ambient call of the world. You will not be a different man. You will
be a man who is conformed not transformed. Conformed not to Christ but to the image of this
passing world and that will not really give you the kind of courage, the greatness, the dignity, to
which you’ve been called. You’re called to more than what this world invites you to pursue. He
says; I want you to be a man of wisdom and encouragement and that you gain your insight and
wisdom and stability and shalom from the word.

Besides the fact that God keeps His promises and is faithful and beside the fact that He has given
us this word, this treasury so that you can begin and continue to renew your mind, He promises
to be personally present with Joshua. In that promise He says; I, Myself, will go with you. I’m
not just going to send you out there but I will be with you in the midst. You read this book and
you discover the reality and He guides him along the way.

My point is that we have the same 3 sources of courage in our lives today. God’s made some
clear indications of His fidelity to His people. He has given you a history in your life as well
when you review what He has done. God really is faithful to keep His promises when we look
back. Secondly, God has invited us to also be men of the word so we have an eternal perspective
in this temporal world. Thirdly He invites us to realize that He’s with us. He’s always present
with us. We do not go it alone. Those sources of encouragement are summarized again in Joshua
1: 9 “ Have I not commanded you? “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed,
for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
I want us to turn to a passage that embeds this idea of courage in the character of God and it
is Hebrews 6: 13-20. There is, as you know in this world no such thing as a sure thing. In this
world nothing appears to be certain. We cannot really control the outcome of a single day. When
we think we are in control we have only bought an illusion. We’re never in control. We may
think we are but we’re really not. What will happen this day you really can’t control the entire
out comes. Even if all your meetings make, the details and all kinds of things that transpire will
be different from anything you could’ve planned. It’s just that way. We can’t control as much as
we’d like to suppose.
Paul Tourney used an analogy about the idea of life as sometimes like a trapeze act where you
can swing on the bar. You can exercise and build muscle all you want but if you want to excel,
what do you have to do? You have to let go of the bar. You can keep working out on the bar but
you’re not going to excel by staying on the bar. That would be a boring act to just watch the guy
and he doesn’t go from one bar to the other. The point is you have to let go with nothing beneath
you and reach out for the next trapeze bar. I think that’s a very good way of understanding
there’s a point at which we let go. The fact is that a turtle never moves forward until he sticks his
neck out. You have to move forward and you have to take some risks.

This passage in Hebrew 6 tells us about two reasons why God’s promises are certain. The first
reason why His promises are certain is the unchanging character of His purpose. In verse 16 He
talks about His promises to Abraham and He swore since there was nothing greater for Him to
swear by, He swore by Himself. It’s an interesting idea. He can’t say I swear to God. The fact is
He doesn’t have a higher thing to swear by than Himself. There is no higher authority. So He
basically swears by Himself. Hebrews 6: 16-20, “For men swear by one greater than themselves,
and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God,
desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose,
interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to
lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set
before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one
which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a
high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
There’s a fundamental security in these two things. First of all, God does not break His promises.
Secondly, God Himself doesn’t change His character. His character is immutable which means it
will not change. He will not be in a good mood or a bad mood in the sense of vacillating. His
character and integrity will not change. His immutable character and promises flow out of His
unchanging character and become the two things then that this text invites us to see that gives us
real stability. We find our feet are not on shifting sand but on the rock of God’s promises.
Now as inhabitants of this world it takes still real courage to risk everything on the promises of
God. At least if you hope in the promises of this world you have something tangible and visible
that gives you the illusion of bolstering confidence. When you hope in God’s promises you’re
really staking your life on something that you haven’t seen and what is not yet. So it says
in Romans 8: 24-25, “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who
hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we
wait eagerly for it.”
That’s the reality then that faith and hope go together. Hebrews 11: 1, “Faith is being sure of
what we hope for and certain or what we do not see.” The reality is we have a certain fixed hope.
Frankly it doesn’t take any faith to believe that 100 people of 100 people will die. There’s no
faith involved in that. One hundred out of 100 people will die on this planet. There’s no
ambiguity about that. You understand that. We realize not only the brevity of this earthly sojourn
but we also recognize there are powerful evidences that would cause us to see that embracing
Christ is not a leap in the dark but a step in the light.
Some of you know I wrote a book called “Twenty Compelling Evidences That God Exists”. That
book deals with the reality that there is very good evidence for us to believe. The book starts
with a skeptical stance and assumes that a person is not even sure you can know anything. It’s
written specifically to a skeptic or a seeker with that in mind before it even talks about the bible.
It talks about the whole issue of reality and what the natural world teaches. It builds a case for
the resurrection of Christ at the end and argues that embracing Christ is not a leap in the dark it’s
a step into the light. A step it still is and there’s a choice to be made.

I’m going to suggest though that there’s a risk involved in obeying God but that risk is always
worth what happens there as a consequence. Frankly when it comes to taking risks most of us are
curiously irrational. I just think about the fact that millions of people buy lottery tickets even
though we are 3 times more likely to be struck by lightening but we continue to do that.
Remember the movie Bruce Almighty? He doesn’t know what to do with these millions of
prayer requests he’s hearing. It turns out it was only a small part of Buffalo but he thinks it’s the
whole world. He gets millions of prayer request and doesn’t know what to do. He finally turns
them into e-mail requests and hits select all and says yes! Imagine if all your prayer requests
were answered the way you want them. You’d be a ruined man! In any case when he says yes to
all these people, 400,000 win the lottery and they all complain because they only get $17.00
each. They are all outraged. There are many unintended consequences. The fact is we do all
kinds of things, spend money on extreme and improbable odds and blithely ignore the relatively
shorter odds that concern our health and well being whether it has to do with various habits like
smoking and drinking or whatever. We distress ourselves worrying about all kinds of things that
really can’t change the thing itself. When it comes to risk we are often idiots.

Risks are a part of life though and there’s a reality to this. This reminds me of the parachute
packers during WWII. They had to repack parachutes once a month to make sure they would
work. They would have to sign a card and put it in the parachute pocket that they had packed.
They would be required to randomly pick three of their chutes and use them themselves during
the month. I promise you if you know you are going to be baling out on your own packs every
month then you’re going to pack them very well. That’s the point you don’t want to take the risk
of being careless. There are some risks that are going to be calculated and some are foolish.

I want us to turn to Numbers14, which is one of the saddest parts in the scriptures because it
causes us to realize that we can make some very bad decisions. The fact is we can stake
everything on the wrong card in the end and it would be a tragic thing for you to put everything
and stake it on something that’s going to be deadly in the end. I want us to think about the
context of Numbers 14. This is the transitional point in the career of Israel, the conquest of the
land. Remember the generation of the exodus was supposed to become the generation of the
conquest. They were being led out by Moses, being prepared in the wilderness and they were
going to go in and conquer the land. They were murmuring, griping and complaining quite a bit
during those first two years in the wilderness. They whined about the water, the quail, and the
manna and so forth although God continued to sustain them, for example their clothes didn’t
wear out. But there was one point where they sent out spies to check out the land from the
wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, at Lebo-hamath and when they came back 10 out of the 12
spies said they couldn’t conquer the land. These people had fortified cities, they’re giants and we
are like grasshoppers in comparison to them. We can’t conquer the land and if we try our
children will perish. It was one thing for them to murmur, gripe and complain but it was another
thing entirely to disbelieve God. They drew back in disbelief and said we can’t do it; we’re not
going to follow God any more. When they chose to do that in Numbers 13 and 14 this is the
pivotal point in the book because that generation of the exodus lost their opportunity to be the
generation of the conquest. That was a sad thing.
In fact what was going to take place as a result of their disbelief was that they would be
consigned literally to kill time for 38 more years. They were ready to go into the land, right on
the edge and then He said you’re heading back into the wilderness and you’re not going to
conquer the land. It was a great tragic moment.
You recall when Joshua and Caleb, the 2 spies who believed God, warned the people not to rebel
against God. Numbers 14: 9, “ Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people
of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the
LORD is with us; do not fear them.” The whole assembly talked about stoning them because
they were terrified by what they saw. They failed to believe God despite the fact that God was
miraculously leading them in the wilderness. They had the pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of
fire at night that He had miraculously promised them. This is the generation that saw the parting
of the water.
Again in that movie, Bruce Almighty, he parts his soup. What I liked about that movie for all its
flaws, it does tell us a couple things. The bottom line message of the movie is, I’m God and
you’re not. You don’t want to be Me; you couldn’t be like Me and besides you’ll use that power
stupidly and selfishly which is exactly what happens.

Don’t rebel. They rebel. The tragedy and irony is that they said our children will perish and who
conquered the land? It was their children. They literally spent 38 years killing time. What
happens when you kill time? You kill life. They perished one after another until everybody 20
years old and upward perished in the wilderness except for 3 people; Moses, Joshua and Caleb. It
would be the Isralites’ children who would be the generation of the conquest.

It’s a tragic thing when we chose to say God, I don’t believe, when He invites us, nudges us,
prompts us to move in a direction that’s going to require some risk. It’s the sin of unused
potential. I don’t think I can trust You for that. There will finally come a point if you’re not
careful where He’ll say, okay have it your way. Then you’ll look back and now you’ve reached a
point of no return and the sin of unused potential will be there. The reality is then that by
pursuing a pain avoidance strategy, playing our cards close to our chest because we’re afraid to
trust God, the irony here is that you actually inflict greater pain upon yourself when you try to
avoid the so called pain of obedience. In seeking to avoid what appears to be pain associated
with obedience to God you will bring greater pain upon yourself.

As a result of their lack of courage they missed out and as a result of our lack of fortitude and
courage we too can miss out on opportunities He calls us to. I do believe obeying God and
obeying principles of scripture will require significant risk because to trust God is to pursue the
invisible over the visible. It is my belief that ultimately God will honor that and cause us to be a
people that combine these things together.
We also have had the gospel preached to us. Hebrews 4: 2, “For indeed we have had good news
preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not
united by faith in those who heard.” There comes a point where you have to know the truth but
you also have to live it and obey it.
This book was not written for our information but our transformation. It was not written to
inform us but to transform us. Therefore it is a formational tool so that your don’t just read it to
learn truths, you do learn many propositional truths, but you read it so that you can be
transformed and come to know God in a relational way and not just a propositional context. We
apply it and embed it in our lives. I believe therefore that we are called to take steps in faith to
trust in His presence.

In another text, Ezekiel 28, we see an interesting sort of risk prophets engaged in consistently. In
this kind of risk they would go against the kings. They were powerful men often in the context of
their success and the prophets would tell them they were doing something that was ultimately
going to lead to their own destruction. Ezekiel 27 describes the glory that was Tyre. It was a
powerful city that through it’s trade and through its’ shipping acquired an immense wealth,
prestige and power in its time. But then this word of the LORD comes to the king of Tyre and
challenges him. Ezekiel 28: 6-10, “Therefore thus says the Lord God, “ Because you have made
your heart like the heart of God, therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon you, the most
ruthless of the nations. And they will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and
defile your splendor. They will bring you down to the pit and you will die the death of those who
are slain in the heart of the seas. Will you still say, “I am a god,” in the presence of your slayer,
though you are a man and not God, in the hands of those who wound you? You will die the death
of the uncircumcised by the hands of strangers, for I have spoken!” declares the Lord God.” The
point here is that Ezekiel is doing something rather strong. It’s one thing to criticize someone
when things are not going well or say correct things to make it better but this king is being
extremely successful and he comes against him. He’s taking a huge risk and it requires
tremendous conviction for you to go against what seems to be successful in this world.
I believe that great conviction requires great truth. When you combine real truth with conviction
then you have the power of courage. In this text here’s a man who had courage because he was
convinced of the promises of God and he knew he was a man who was called to communicate
great truth. It’s a matter of challenging people in their own arenas and in their own lives to take
the risks that are necessary, the risks of obedience and pursuit and to model that in our own lives.

It’s been said that failure’s the back door to success. I’d like to suggest that risk can also be a
back door to success. Jesus took a huge risk in John 2: 12-22 when He cleared the temple. It
describes how when it came time for the Passover He went up to Jerusalem. “He found in the
temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their
tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and
the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to
those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s
house a place of business.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house
will consume me.” The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for
doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it
up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in
three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the
dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word
which Jesus had spoken.”
This was a huge risk taking adventure here for Him to take a bunch of ropes and turn them into a
scourge and then to chase these people out of the temple. This was a profitable business and
there were thousands of people who were buying and selling. He was taking the risk of rejection
by the crowds. He risked them taking Him aside and killing Him. He risked misunderstanding
and any number of things. But His zeal for His Father’s house was consuming Him. He
ultimately chose to cleanse this, symbolic of the reality of Israel’s own religious externalism and
folly.

Again as I see it here, I see a man who takes calculated risks and we are also called to take
calculated risks. One businessman put it this way; having the faith to attempt something new or
different even though it might be hard or lead to failure maintains that risk is not recklessness.
Recklessness involves little or no forethought. In contrast those who take risks are aware that
they face enormous obstacles to achievement yet the rewards seem well worth the effort. Reality
is that there are going to be risks involved in any real venture and something that’s going to
require some endeavor. Donald Rumsfield years ago said, “ Success tends to go not to the person
who is error free because he also tends to be risk adverse rather it goes to the person who
recognizes that life is pretty much a percentage basis. It isn’t making mistakes that is critical, it’s
correcting them and getting on with the principle task.” Babe Ruth, the strike out king, was
required to take risks to make mistakes in order to do as well as he did. The fact is that we make
mistakes; that we take risks but they’re calculated risks. We make adjustments, we learn from
our errors; we learn from our mistakes and we go on from there.

As we have all admitted in this room we typically learn a great deal more from our mistakes any
way than we do from our successes. They teach us more about ourselves, more about reality in
any case. That pain often does that. So as I evaluate these thoughts then as I cultivate your
leadership skills, don’t be afraid to take those calculated risks and understand that actually if you
commit your ways to God, your business, your endeavors, your family, wherever you are at the
end of the day you’re going to at least be putting everything based upon the promises and
commitments of God.

There’s no assurance that He’ll bale us out of the mistakes we’ve made in this life, there will be
consequences to foolish mistakes but at least we have the assurance that He is with us and can
even redeem the falling. He can take that and He can transform that and make it the substance of
our own growth.

Life is full of risks, and missing the opportunity to take some -- probably even most -- of
them could lead to much regret in the end. What does God say about risk and how does
He exemplify for us how to deal with and respond to risks?

You have probably heard of the famous story in the Bible where Jesus starts walking
from the shore to the disciples while striding on the surface of the sea. He then calls out
to Peter to do the same (Matthew 14:29), but as the disciple does so he is overcome by
the risks and then later starts to sink.

What kind of risks are you facing today? A new job opportunity, business venture, a
relationship that could possibly turn into marriage or a cross-country move to go to a
promising university? God calls us at many times to risky situations because He desires
that we step out in faith.

Faith cannot and will not exist without a little bit of risk, or if it did, we wouldn't really be
able to measure and grow it. God designs situations in our life that make us feel unsure
so that we may look to God as our true source of guidance and strength.

Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own
understanding." What could be a more fitting picture of risk?

However, it is also important to remember that as we face risks, God also urges us to
practice a leveled amount of wisdom to balance things out for us. Blind faith is not just
risky. It's also uncalled for. Proverbs 11:14 reminds us, "For lack of guidance a nation
falls, but victory is won through many advisers."

But nonetheless, risks are inevitable and have become a very vital part of our lives. It is
through risk-taking that we exercise our faith in a God who cancels out all risks and
makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him.
 If for anything, let us learn how God Himself took the risk of trusting in us and giving us
His very life even though it meant dying an excruciating and humiliating death. We are
the ultimate risk, but Jesus took it anyway because to Him we would be worth it. In the
same way, He calls us to put our faith in Him just as He has put His faith in us.

And God is more trustworthy than we will ever be! Sure, risk can be daunting, even
paralyzing, but as long as we are assured that it is God's perfect will for us and we know
it will honor Him, God has our backs and He will turn great trials and risks into wonderful
rewards.

Mentoring Moment: 10 benefits of having a spiritual mentor

October 28, 2011David J. TannerLeave a commentGo to comments

Proverbs 27:17
17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Every Christian needs a spiritual mentor. Each benefit and are stronger together. The question is
whether or not we will reach out and seek the counsel and guidance of a mentor. Yes, the benefits
are invaluable and provide a lifeline in the sea of life that has far too many storms. But perhaps you
are wondering what some of the key benefits might be of such a relationship. Is it worth it?

While certainly not all inclusive the following is a short list of key benefits from establishing a
relationship with a spiritual mentor:

1. Someone to believe in you: everyone desires affirmation. A mentor is someone who believes in
you even when understanding all the clutter and imperfections in your life. Someone who will listen
carefully to your passions, dreams, goals, hang-ups, and immature ideas and provide caring objective
input you can trust which takes into account their sense of how God is working in your life. (Barnabas
and John MarkActs 15:36-39; 2 Tim 4:11)
2. Provides a role model: a mentor has a tall order to fill by presenting themselves as a role model
that is not only in talk but in walk. Spiritually this means that they “lead with their life” as
commanded by Scripture where it is evident they are led by the Holy Spirit and present a godly role
model of Christ-like behavior to those they mentor. Seeing a godly life lived out is an invaluable
benefit. (Paul 1 Cor. 11:1)
3. Promotes spiritual growth: spiritual mentors are by definition to help others develop a solid
pattern of spiritual discipline in their lives which helps deepen their personal relationship with God,
help them to grow in the image of Christ, and prepare them to become most usable for the kingdom.
This activity includes formal and informal Bible study, directed reading, training in the Christian
disciplines (quiet time, bible reading, prayer, etc.), helping to determine spiritual gifts and ministry
direction. The spiritual life patterns established early on in this relationship are designed to benefit
those mentored a lifetime. (Paul Phil 3:13)
4. Provides accountability: today’s cultural environment provides many land mines and diversions.
It is not difficult for the enemy to attempt to derail someone who earnestly desires to deepen their
relationship with God. Consequently having a mentor accountability partner is an invaluable benefit
for asking tough questions, heading off danger, and derailing diversions. Samuel and Saul (1 Sam. 9-
15)
5. Is an Encourager: the “me” generation of today does not widely promote the notion of
encouragement to others. While the Bible is clear that we should look out for the needs of others we
often fail in our follow through. Mentees benefit from proactive encouragement from their mentors,
who understand the power and value of this critical motivator. (Barnabas and Paul Acts 4:36-37;
9:26-30; 11:22-30)
6. Available in times of crisis: the Bible is clear that we will experience trials in our lives. We don’t
know when, their nature, duration or depth but they will come. Mentors provide a tremendous benefit
to those mentored as they experience trials in their lives. Mentors help mentees understand God’s
ways and purposes in difficult times; provide counsel and help to navigate through times of crisis; and
provide comfort and stability from a trusted relationship. (Paul and Silas Acts 16)
7. Helps establish and achieve goals: mentors provide valuable advice and objective input as
personal and spiritual goals are thought through and established. Once established mentors can then
help to monitor, suggest adjustments, and counsel along the way as needed. The real benefit in these
areas is helping ensure that the balance of personal and spiritual goals is appropriate, e.g. keeping
God as the central focus and priority, ensuring that the mentees spiritual growth pattern is not
disrupted by other pursuits. (Paul and Timothy 1 & 2 Timothy)
8. Provide trusted counsel in life decisions: mentors provide invaluable benefit for providing
counsel in major life decisions given the depth of knowledge and relationship developed with the
mentee. Some of these decisions come quickly and others may be prepared for. Regardless of the
urgency having a trusted objective advocate for weighing major life decisions is extremely valuable
(Paul and Titus – Titus)
9. Benefits other relationships in your life: As mentees grow in their faith and pursuit of a godly
Christ-like life virtually every other relationship they have will be positively impacted. Friends, family,
co-workers, employees, etc. will all see a changed life. This changed life has the potential to heal
relationships, draw others to Christ, and influence others toward a similar experience. (Gal. 5:23-24)
10. Provides an opportunity to give back: Yes, changed lives draw others to themselves as they see
the Spirit of God at work and will establish the groundwork for the mentee to potentially become a
mentor to others as God leads. God’s great commission for our lives is to make disciples. Becoming
a mentor is a response to this command and the benefit to others cannot be measured in human
terms, only from an eternity perspective. The true opportunity to give back and invest in the
kingdom is the investing in the lives of others. (Matt 28:19)
Mentoring relationships take various forms. Those most familiar is a senior to a junior. However,
peer on peer mentoring is also a viable approach. I encourage an open mind allowing God to lead.
He is perfect in His wisdom and will bring the people together that He desires in a mentor-mentee
relationship. Trust Him and be alert to God’s activity. Is he speaking to you that you need a
mentor? Has He introduced you to new people that you immediately sparked to which appear to be
godly? Do you have issues, decisions, uncertainties in your life that are crying out for counsel?
 Whatever the circumstances God is at work around you and will make it clear whose paths cross for
mentoring purposes. The benefits are priceless. Be alert and respond immediately. Don’t wait!

The Biblical Importance of

Both Being and Having a
Mentor
B Y D A I R A C U R R A N SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

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Have you ever considered the importance of a mentor in your life? Just ask
your kids, or think back to an influential teacher you had yourself and it
won’t take long for you to realize this simple truth: My life would have been
very different if I had never met…[fill in the blank]. Or, perhaps, for those of
you who are regular Church-goers, there was probably a youth leader or
volunteer who made a dramatic impact on your life. Additionally, there are
also those who are career minded that might be able to remember their first
boss who was the first to take a chance on them. We all owe our success
to someone who paved the way for us first.Thus, the question must be
asked, who are we paving the way for? The harsh reality is that the next
generation understands the value in networking, yet if you were to ask
many twenty-something’s fresh out of college if they have (or had) a
mentor, they would most likely respond negatively. The reason for this is
not as complex as we may think – a lack of international reflection by all on
the question: am I being a mentor? I believe that if we all took a quick
pause and recognized those who mentored us, we would feel a passion
and responsibility to do the same for someone else. No matter who you
are, you have something that someone else needs.

The Bible declares that mentor-ship simply cannot be ignored and there are
many stories about the importance of sharing what you know with someone
else. Jesus Himself did this throughout His ministry with His disciples. And,
another example that comes to mind is actually found in the Old
Testament: the story of Elijah and Elisha. Most people can get rather
confused when it comes to these two prophets, so here’s a short bio: Elijah
came before Elisha. However, Elijah miraculously never died but instead
was raptured. Elisha famously asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit
and Elisha’s ministry lasted longer and consisted of far more miracles than
Elijah. These two men of faith were messengers of God and understood
the importance of mentor-ship. Let’s take a look at 1 Kings 19: 19-21,

“So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was
plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth
pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left
his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,”
he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What
have I done to you?” So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of
oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the
meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow
Elijah and became his servant.”
As the Scriptures reveal in earlier verses, Elijah was lonely and coming out
of a time of discouragement. Instead of a spiritual retreat, like most of us
would have wanted, what does God provide? God sends him to find
someone to mentor. Here we see Elisha enter the scene. Elisha,
interestingly enough, is found plowing 12 pairs of oxen. This would mean
that Elisha belonged to a family of great wealth, but was nonetheless
amongst the people, working hard. There should be no surprise that God
wanted Elijah to find Elisha in a pasture as God often used great men in
ordinary places (Moses pasturing his father-in-law’s flock before being
called to deliver a nation and David tending sheep before being anointed
king are just two examples). There is so much that we can unpack from the
verses above. Here are a few things that stood out to me, especially in
reference to mentoring:

Mentor Requirement #1: Obedience

Elijah, while he had already proven to be a powerful prophet, listened to
God’s desire for him to mentor. Elijah did not refuse or make excuses about
being too busy, tired or inadequate to do what God had called him to. If
Elijah had not responded with obedience to find Elisha, there would have
been monumental repercussions for Israel. Regardless of who you are,
mentoring is something that God uses for the good of both those who you
are sent to empress upon and for your own personal growth.

Mentor Requirement #2: Sacrifice

There is rarely something that happens extraordinary that doesn’t also come at a
high cost. Notice that Elisha paid respect to his family by saying goodbye and then
burned his equipment and killed the ox. This was not merely some dramatic
emotional display – but a sign of sacrifice. Elisha knew that following Elijah meant he
would have to follow him at all costs. He burned everything, in order to signify a new
beginning with no back-up plan. From that day forward, he became Elijah’s disciple.
Sacrifice was required from Elijah to obey God’s voice and from Elisha to follow.

Mentor Requirement #3: Willingness

Elijah’s life was undoubtedly interrupted. Mentoring Elisha didn’t mean a
once a week Starbucks coffee chat. Rather, it meant a permanent change
in both of the men’s lives. Hence, the relationship between these two
began because of a willingness that Elijah had – a willingness to pass
along what he had learned. Elijah understood that mentoring meant living
out his ministry. He spent time living with Elisha, year after year, showing
him what it meant to do all sorts of things – such as go to court, bury the
dead, help the poor, preach God’s will and love others. The goal was not
merely academic knowledge, but spiritual transformation. Elijah had to be
willing, likely swallowing his own pride at times, in order to serve Elisha
well.

Are you mentoring someone? It may be a friend, your children or even a

younger employee that God has placed upon your heart to guide spiritually.
The hope is that by reading this you will dig deep within your soul and ask
this very poignant question: who would say that I am their mentor, making
an impact on their life? We all need to have this honest discussion with
ourselves because there are people who need what we have to offer. It
always requires obedience, sacrifice and willingness – but it also produces
endless rewards. The gift that mentor-ship gives is never one-sided, for I
have found that by blessing the mentored, you are also forever blessed.