Our transient, love-starved world has numerous heart’s doors that are desperately waiting to swing open to someone who has a compassion.That is a stupendously big topic which I will slightly touch on in this issue. Before I do, I would like to refer to MENTORING Part 2 to leave a few thought-provoking snippets about the husband-wife relationship.
“Anything without a head is dead. Anything with two heads is a monster — in the home and elsewhere.” “Before marriage opposites attract; After marriage opposites attack.”
“Do we wear labels or do we meet needs?” “Anyone in need of mercy is a neighbor.”
The husband-wife relationship sets the tone for the home atmosphere; therefore, it must be strongly, consistently, and seriously established on Christian principles. God has given the necessary guidelines in His Instruction Book.
Homes are crumbling. Why? For reasons too many to be covered in this short treatise. One to be addressed is the transient lifestyle of its members. Extra-curricular school activities, sports, clubs, music, “Ys,” gyms, hobbies, and more entice family members away from each other. Parents and children don’t know where the others are. Days go by without sitting down to a meal together as a family. Mealtime is a special time for catching up with each other and for bonding. A time of laughter and love. A time to share perspectives, plans, and dreams. A time to be guided, admonished, and equipped. A time of corporate mentoring. A family devotion time.
At one time the six children of our blended family ranged from 13 to 20 years. Work schedules and school programs became a challenge for togetherness. We had to have rules that could not be broken without an acceptably good reason. There were no excuses for neglecting church. In their younger years we went as a family in one station wagon. In those days we dressed appropriately, because we were going before the King of kings. (Perhaps this statement is out of line in this day and age. Please excuse if you disagree with my clothing code.)
Every child needs the masculine influence in his/her life. For various reasons it is missing. Mother must play the two roles. Impossible and unforgivable if both live in the home. Mother provides love, understanding, and tenderness. Father provides solidarity and regularity. Together they do not merely focus on the cute little child but on the child’s adulthood. Already Gone and Already Compromised, books produced by Answers in Genesis, alert and unnerve us when we read facts and data that focus on why youth are church dropouts. I believe the basic reason starts in the home and then the church. Youth are home dropouts as well.
From experience I conclude that the most strategic mentoring tools are godly prepared hearts, minds, and souls. When needy opportunities cross our paths, we rarely have warning, and we must be prepared through fervent, believing prayer, There is great activity in the heavenlies when we pray. As we pray, “the Spirit works in the unconscious domain of another’s being about which we know nothing, and about which the other person knows nothing. After a while the conscious life of the one being prayed for begins to show signs of softening and unrest, of enquiry and a desire to know. As our prayers are directed to God who understands the conscious depths of our longing, He uses our prayers to change the desires of the one for whom we are praying. We cannot keep silent; we are compelled to intercede. We refuse to doubt or give up our vigil” (Oswald Chambers).THE TRINITY IS EFFICACIOUS. WE CAN’T LOSE!
