Developing Your 360° Support: Part 1
“It Takes a Village.”
By Brian Phipps
Jesus came so you could live Fully Alive.
Since the secret to living Fully Alive is to actually die to your own desires and inclinations, which seems “upside-down” and contrary to what most of us want out of life, then we must admit from the outset that WE. NEED. HELP!
We can not live the Fully Alive life on our own. It is a community endeavor. It is a team sport.
“It Takes a Village.”
This African proverb is generally used in reference to raising children... indicating that one family is not enough to provide all of the necessary resources for developing them. Following Jesus takes a village as well, and the Bible provides a powerful picture of how effective this community can be.
In the New Testament, relationship networks model what we call 360 Degree Support. To have this support around you in every direction, you need the following:
Mentors in front of you.
Peers beside you.
Apprentices behind you.
Mentors are seasoned in their walk with Jesus, filled with wisdom on how to live Fully Alive, and able and willing to share their wisdom with others. Paul was a mentor to many young leaders, most notably Timothy and Titus. Paul selected these young men to develop, and the mentoring letters he wrote to them have been preserved in the biblical books with their names on them. If Paul had not been intentional about identifying and developing these leaders, the gospel’s growth beyond the boundaries of Israel may have been severely thwarted when Paul was unjustly imprisoned.
Peers are people at a similar phase of spiritual development. They have similar hopes and ambitions as well as similar challenges and limitations. Paul had peers and was a peer to others. While Paul certainly stands out from most of his peers with his writings and accomplishments, he would have never seen those successes without the support, encouragement, and validation from peers like Barnabas, Peter, and James. Paul’s passion and personality style led to conflict with these peers, but even the conflict didn’t diminish the respect and value each gave to the other.
Apprentices are people that are measurably less developed than you are, but who eagerly desire to grow. They demonstrate initiative and are willing to sacrifice to get the time, wisdom, and challenge from a good mentor. It may seem on the surface that mentors only “give” to the apprentices they serve, but in reality the benefits to having good apprentices outweigh the investments.
If you spend the time to develop trusting and mutually-beneficial relationships with mentors, peers, and apprentices, you will have developed your 360 Degree Spiritual Support. With this system you will have wisdom beyond your years to guide you, loyal friends by your side to protect and support you, and impressionable lives in your wake that you want to never disappoint… which is the most valuable key to accountability available.
The life-long benefits of this support are immeasurable. Like the popular proverb says, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far... go together.” Now you know who you need. Start asking God to send you the mentors, peers, and apprentices you need to join you on the journey.
Click here to view "Finding & Keeping the Right Mentors"