Good Morning Friends,
Paul brought his letter to Titus to a close with a final greeting and encouragement, “Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.” (Titus 3:15)
The letter to Titus was a letter from an experienced, mature Christian leader (Paul) to a younger, less experienced Christian leader (Titus). Paul was serving as a mentor to Titus, helping him with the issues of faith and ministry with which he was confronted. Paul’s expectation of Titus was that as he was being mentored by Paul, he would also seek those that he could mentor. He was to appoint leaders in the church of Crete and take responsibility for helping those leaders fulfill the ministry to which God had called them and help them in their own Christian lives, too. Those leaders, as they were being mentored by Titus, were to take responsibility for the congregation they led, mentoring those people to be sure they were growing and maturing in the faith.
What is described in the relationships between Paul, Titus, the Cretian leaders, and the Cretian Christians is a continuum of mentoring, with each responsible for being in a relationship in which they were being mentored and to be in one or more relationships in which they were mentoring others.
That’s always been God’s design for the church. The church is to be made up of people helping people grow and mature in their relationship with the Lord. We aren’t to be in this alone, but relying on others to help us and being available to God to help others.
In thinking about Paul’s relationship with Titus, it brings up the question of our own relationships with others in the faith. First, are there one or more mature and experienced Christians to whom you look for mentoring? They serve as models and teachers to you in the things of the faith and in your service in the Kingdom of God. And just as important, are there younger, less experienced Christians to whom you serve as a mentor – perhaps in a formal way or, more likely, in an informal way?
To be mentored and to be mentoring – that’s God’s way to keeping us all growing!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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