My “Cliff’s Notes” on Spiritual Mentoring

When I came to faith at age 31 I knew I needed a spiritual mentor – someone to disciple me. Up until then, I’d been a cultural Christian. So, I started going to a Bible study weekly and it was incredibly helpful, but I knew I needed something more – a coach, a teacher - a mentor.

I was clueless about how people who were serious about following Jesus went about doing that in real life.  What did they talk about on the golf course, when they went to lunch, or on the job?  How did they share the good news of Jesus with others in a way that was natural and winsome?  How did they treat their wives, make business and personal decisions?  How did they pray, when did they pray, and for how long?  I had a million questions.

It’s like this; when I decided to take up golf, I got a golf pro to teach me.  He not only demonstrated how to properly hold a club, hit a ball out of the sand, but how to keep from getting into the sand in the first place – and a hundred other things I needed to enjoy the game.  I learned because he played along with me.  I watched him and he watched me and gave me the confidence I needed to play the game better.  I knew I needed similar lessons about living out the Christian life.

But how do you go about finding a spiritual mentor?