The first time I remember doing laundry for myself, I was a sophomore in college (I know it sounds crazy, but I was the baby of my family!) I was shocked when I pulled out my once-white socks, t-shirts, and underwear and realized they had turned pink! Since I was a broke college student, I wore those pink underwear for an entire year, until I could afford new ones!
I think back on that memory and laugh, but the reality is that at every new start, we’re bound to face hiccups. And some are much more serious than pink laundry!
As we embrace a fresh start in 2025, it’s important to take stock of those “pink laundry” areas of our life—the areas it’s clear we need to mature in. We should ask ourselves, Am I where I want to be in my faith? In my relationships? In my health? In my finances? Then, as we make plans to grow in these areas, we must consider one of the most invaluable parts of a successful plan: embracing the gift of mentorship.
James encourages us in this in James 5:10-11 (MSG): “Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course!…”
Earlier in his book, James also encourages us about how to approach the mentorship and development processes. Chapter one, verses 2-4, says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
This passage tells us the mentorship process should be three things. First, it should be enjoyable. We should count it all joy, even when it’s hard, because we know what the outcome will be. Then we must understand it will require endurance. But if we’ll remain faithful, we’ll eventually reach the last part—we’ll become fully equipped for every good work.
As with any journey to a good end, there will be threats along the path to maturity that attempt to rob us of our potential. Three major threats are the places, peer pressure, and past experiences that have previously kept us stuck in unhealthy patterns. If we’ll push past these threats, embracing true, godly mentorship, we’ll make incredible progress on the path to maturity.
Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” So this year, friend, I urge you to do something that might be different for you. I encourage you to embrace the invaluable gift of mentorship. And if you already are connected with a mentor, I encourage you to increase your commitment to the process. Embracing the gift of mentorship with joy, expectation, and endurance will equip us for every good work!
