THE VALUE OF A GODLY MENTOR

THE VALUE OF A GODLY MENTOR

Three verses today that jumped off the pages of the Word (from THE
MESSAGE) and reminded me of how grateful I am for the older men God has
placed in my life over the years:

"Moral dropouts won't listen to their elders; welcoming correction is a
mark of good sense." -- Proverbs 15:5
"Know-it-alls don't like being told what to do -- they avoid the company
of wise men and women." Proverbs 15: 12
"Listen to good advice if you want to live well -- an honored guest
among wise men and women." Proverbs 15:31

Over the years God has placed in my life older, mature men who have
impacted my life in astounding ways. Much to my dismay, many of my peers
and men younger than me tend to shy away from older folks and don't see
the value of allowing them to come alongside to give counsel and
assistance. My life is richer and fuller because of the many men that I
have allowed to come alongside of me to counsel, guide, pray with, and
simply listen too.

Some have offered me correction. It hasn't always been easy to listen to
-- I do struggle with pride. But I have to tell you -- I have avoided
some pretty major disasters in my life by listening to their godly
advice. Some have actually given me an action plan. I must admit that
there were times when "their" plans didn't make any sense. But it did it
-- and I avoided some major blunders.

I am reminded today of one mentor, Joe Dariano. He was the choir
director of a church in Pennsylvania for many years. I was asked to
candidate for the position as he was wanting to "retire" as the choir
director. I can remember sitting on the swing with Joe at his home as he
shared time after time with me, godly counsel that I needed to hear.
Sometimes he said tough things. At times he encouraged me and helped me
to grow.

During a major tough time in our lives, Joe came alongside of us, not to
condemn us, but to support us and stand with us when we were facing one
of the most horrible moments of our lives. At that point in our lives --
he was there to put an arm around us, give a hug, pray, and just love on
us. God used Joe Dariano in our lives to walk us through this crisis and
to help us get to the other side victoriously.

Do you have a mentor in your life? Find an older man in your church and
ask to spend some time with him. Ask him questions. Share your
struggles, your concerns, your fears. Then do what most of us have a
hard time doing -- LISTEN! You might be amazed at what you hear!
Thanks, Joe Dariano for investing in my life.