Good Morning Friends,
Paul’s final greeting and encouragement to
TItus, “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 from an experienced,
mature Christian leader (Paul) to a younger, less experienced Christian leader
(Titus). Paul was 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 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. We are to rely on
others to help us and be available to help others.
Paul’s relationship with Titus brings up the
question of our own relationships with others in the faith. 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. 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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