Just as the Lord used the everyday activities of a potter to teach Jeremiah, God still speaks to us through the Bible and through the remembering of scripture at what first appears to be strange times. This morning, while I was going through the various emails, I came across one from a faculty member of the college I work at that encouraged us to tell students of the college’s tutoring center, the hours it is open, and the help available to students in a variety of subjects. The email went so far to explain that the tutoring and mentoring program was designed to help and encourage students to reach their academic potential in an environment that was comfortable and supportive of their needs.
During my office hours, I began to think about the wisdom behind the mentoring and tutoring program that the college has in place. I then began to think about how within the various writings of the apostle Paul he calls the older and more mature Christian to do the same thing. In Paul’s letter to Titus, he wrote, But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you (Titus 2:1-8). Paul is telling Titus, and future Christians through the preservation of this particular letter, that spiritually mature Christians are to mentor and teach younger Christians.
When I was a younger Christian, there were lots of things that I did not understand (please do not misunderstand me,I still do not know or understand everything about the Christian faith). Not having the benefit of growing up in a biblically based home, I didn’t know a lot about my newfound faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As a young Christian, I didn’t know the importance of reading my Bible each day, taking time to pray for my needs and others, or even regular church attendance. As I have matured, and have learned about what it means to be a Christian, I have also begun to understand that as an older Christian, I do have responsibilities: Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more (Luke 12:43-48).
