Do You Have Mentors?

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
- Luke 1:39-45

The scripture does not record God telling Mary that she should go visit Elizabeth. As best as we can tell, Mary just sensed the need to do so. Perhaps part of that was to see the miraculous thing God had done in Elizabeth’s life; perhaps it was for Mary to get a break from the social pressure in her home town; no doubt part of it was to gain some perspective on her own tricky situation (unmarried, pregnant teenager!) from a wise and gracious older woman.

Besides the emotional weight of her situation, Mary, while pregnant, faced the challenge of walking probably twenty miles to see Elizabeth. That’s a lot of effort to seek out someone older and wiser. Often, it seems to take a fair amount of effort to find a mentor. But it was worth it for Mary. Elizabeth deeply blessed her, spoke God’s word over her, and was a safe haven in her challenging life.

Who are the mentors you have in your life? Think of teachers, older family members, neighbors, friends from church - even think of those whose books you’ve read that you’ve never met. Thank God for these people. Search your own heart and at the same time ask God if there’s a need in your life for more mentoring. Talk with God about these things, asking for what you need.