“There is no person in history who has impacted all of mankind more than Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus was deeply concerned for the continuation of his redemptive reconciling work after the close of his earthly existence, and his chosen method was the formulation of a small band of committed friends. He did not form an army, establish a headquarters, or even write a book. All he did was to collect a few very common people, inspire them with the sense of his spirit and vision, and build their lives into an intensive fellowship of affection, worship and work.
One of the truly shocking passages of the gospel is that in which Jesus indicates that there is absolutely no substitute for the tiny, loving, caring, reconciling society. If this fails, he suggests, all is failure: there is no other way. He told the little bedraggled fellowship that they were actually the salt of the earth and that if this salt should fail there we be no adequate preservative at all. He was staking it all on one throw.
What we need is not intellectual theorizing or even preaching, but a demonstration.”
Who’s going to lead these ‘little bedraggled fellowships”?
Young men don’t need talkers. They don’t need doers. They need ‘done-ers.’ Men who have done it . . . men who have consecrated themselves to Jesus and who have stories to tell about what He’s done for them. That’s it. These guys draw a crowd because their character, faith and faithfulness are known. No words required.
When one of these ‘done-ers’ follows Jesus’ strategy and gathers a small group of younger men around him, amazing stuff begins to happen. Lives are changed. Marriages are saved. Great fathers are launched. Churches are strengthened. Work gets better. People get curious about Jesus.
“Information with inspiration does not lead to transformation,” says Andy Stanley. “It takes a mentor coming alongside a guy, doing life with him, pressing Truth into his life little by little. That’s the power of mentoring.”
If you’re a ‘done-er,’ it’s time. Yeah, I know. . . You don’t know enough, you don’t have time, you wouldn’t be good at it, blah-blah-blah! It’s time to quit doubting yourself and your God. It’s time to get up and do this thing. There are younger guys around you . . . in your church, neighborhood, sports league, and workplace who need a mentor and you’re it. If not you, then who? If not now, then when?
Some of you have been reading these blogs from the beginning. You say good things about them (occasionally) and I truly appreciate your encouragement. But this blog wasn’t intended as a devotional . . . it was created to inspire you to step out of your comfort zone and become a mentor. To step into Jesus’ one and only strategy . . . to create “a small band of committed friends” where you can simply share what He’s done in your life. You have no idea how inspiring your life and your story can be to a young man who’s a few years behind you on the journey.
