Why I Became a Mentor

I only started knowing the significance of the term mentor when I came to Hope Church in Brisbane. Prior to that, coming from a non-Christian background, getting mentored in certain aspects of life was very foreign to me, as I was very much used to figuring out things on my own as I got along in life. Having a mentor was never in my mind when I came to Brisbane for uni, let alone being one.

Fast forward to today: I have been a mentor myself for more than 6 years now. I have come to realize the significant impact that these mentoring relationships have had on my life as well as others’ lives. I can confidently say that I would not be the person I am today without the different mentors and mentees (official or unofficial) inviting me to join them alongside their personal journeys with God. The stories they tell and the lives they live always give me insights, fresh perspective, and enriching experiences which I otherwise would not have known if I were to only consider God and the different situations from my perspective. No doubt there have been ups and downs in some of my mentoring relationships, just as any other close relationships out there, however, I honestly would not trade those times for anything else.

Ever since knowing God, I have always become burdened whenever I see different individuals becoming overwhelmed by the hopelessness of their situation. I know that there is a much better, hopeful perspective to approach life and God Himself – by considering God’s intentions and His ways of doing things, both of which have been long revealed to us in His Word. Some of these individuals, whom I have had the chance and honor of mentoring and guiding, later on experienced hope and peace even though the reality of their situation did not change. Hence, no matter how big or small the problem might be, I always make it a point to guide and show others that there can always be a better perspective if we truly try to understand and dig deeper into the implications of God’s truth. And this in itself is not without challenge. I have been in situations where I honestly do not have clarity and have had to take a few steps back to reflect and delve deeper into my own relationship with God, as well as seek wise counsel from others. Despite the challenges, I have learnt not to be discouraged. Instead, I take every opportunity to grow myself through these experiences, to be a better mentor whom God can use for His greater purposes. Besides, we mentor people because we love them even though they might not necessarily reciprocate in the same way just yet.