John 15:1-7

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Who is mentoring you has to do with how you were raised. Mentoring is a heavy responsibility. Mentoring is taken upon yourself the duties of guiding someone else’s life. If you can do this, you have somewhat of a control over them. Mentoring is the mimic of someone else, through either teacher or through influence.

Most mentors or leaders today don’t understand  why they go through so many problems in their lives. Mentors often don’t know how to mentor! Today people are mentoring or influencing others indirectly. You have to be selective about who you allow around you, because you can take on their characteristics. If that person whom you allow around you is “jacked up,” then you are acquiring bad characteristics. You are not being taught good things, your being taught a “personality.” We have leaders in the house of God mimicking their mentors who weren’t necessity good. Many people don’t realize that we make decisions based on what we want to do, not using the Word of God.

You have to be very careful who is in your sphere of absorption. The Word of God tells us to be in this world, but not of it. If your time is spent mostly around things of this world, you will simulate the world, and it will become a part of you. You will carry the spirit of the world. Now the sins of the world are a part of you. We absorb what is around us, whether we pay attention to it or not, because what we’ve heard or seen will show up later on in our lives, and infuse itself into what we say and do. Look at Paul, and who was in his sphere of absorption. He let select few in and because of that, he could hear God clearly and not with an ear that was mix up with someone else mess.

In the Church, we are suppose to teach the people that God is their mentor, directing them to God to be their mentor, not us to be their mentor. It is not about you or the pastor, its about God. But leaders take on the qualities of their mentor. If their mentor yelled and fussed at them, then they will yell and fuss at their congregation. We can not allow just anybody into our sphere of absorption; act anyway in our presence.