GROWING UP DOESN'T END WHEN WE LEAVE HOME

I'd love to meet your mentor. Is he or she your school buddy? Someone you just met? A former teacher or next door neighbor? Your dad or mom or perhaps your pastor?

Not long ago, I was asked that question. I couldn't answer it. Looking back I believe the reason is that I never thought I needed one. My life was pretty good. I earned enough to get by. So why do I need a mentor. Yet, to be honest I've wished for years that I did have a mentor. Let me explain.

For one thing, I've started down many paths thinking that I was on the right one only to find that it was a dead end. I've made choices thinking that it was the right choice, only to find experience an undesirable consequence. If you've had such experiences or have made such choice you know what I am talking about. Trusting ourself is not alway the best idea.

So where does the Apostle Peter come in? Peter is a perfect example of a person who early on repeated-ly paints himself into a corner. It seems that his foot would sooner or later be a perfect fit for his mouth. He tells Jesus that he will stand by Him, yet when given opportunity to prove himself he denies Him three times. He's always getting into one troublesome issue or another.

Most people would chalk Peter off as an impulsive-compulsive man who desired the best but did not always live it.

Yet, in the final analysis Peter did prove himself. One only needs to read his first and second epistle to see that he learned something from his exper-iences with Jesus. He had learned enough that what he has to say to us in these epistles are worth paying attention to.

Not only did Peter learn that Jesus was who He said He is, but that Jesus came for a purpose that those who believe in Him might have eternal life regard-less of what terrors or ills we might face in life. The Peter, prior to Jesus death and resurrection was full of pride. After Jesus death Peter tells us to us to "humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt us in due time." This same Peter tell us to be steadfast in our faith and through trials and sufferings because, "the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, will make you perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."

If there is a point in all of this, it is first that we, like Peter can learn from our experiences. If we put our faith in Jesus Christ we can become a new person, freed from our old ways. Even more important, we can now have a mentor, i.e., one from whom we can obtain guidance and wisdom. Jesus does not lead us down paths leading to a dead end, or move us to make decisions which result in injurous consequences.

Yet, there's more that Peter has to share with us. In the First Chapter of 2nd Peter, beginning with verse 5, Peter gives us the step by step process which leads us out of childhood and childish ways to a mature and fruitful life. Those character-istics begin with faith, and leads us through characteristics which, if developed by us, gives us a measure by which we can assess our own spiritual and emotional development.

Beginning with faith, we all have faith in some-thing - for good or bad. yet, when have faith in jesus Christ and add to it virtue, we can immed-iately set the direction of our faith - for good.

Virtue goes only in one direction. We can know that our faith is right when we are content with the addition of virtue. When we have faith and decide to live and do right, we become ready to identify with and live out the knowledge that comes from scripture.

Faith, virtue and knowledge are great character-istics, yet, without temperance or self-control, we become as unstable in our ways and as a child who flounders in his ability to make right decision.

I am reminded of a friend who has been determined to be both bi-polar and and an alcoholic. This friend entered treatment, and succeeded in it to the point of abstaining from alcohol and gaining long term employment.

Recently, my friend's wife left him for his best friend. This resulted in his becoming angry and distraught. Yet, he remained strong, and has continued to attend bi-weekly Bible studies.

One evening after attending a Bible study on the subject of "temperance" or "self control," he went to an AA group. At that group was his best friend.
He sat through the meeting, fighting the impulse to jump up, grab, and strangle his former best friend. He abstained from doing so, and upon the conclusion of the meeting left and drove off.

After driving a block or so, my friend decided to return to the AA meeting. He turned around and went back. Upon arrival he went into the meeting area, ran over to his former best friend, threw his arms around him and said, "I wish you well with my wife." He then turn and left the meeting room. when asked what kept him from strangling his former friend, he replied that iin the former Bible study on self-control, he determined that, with Jesus help, that he would adopt that characteristic.

Even when one has achieved faith, virtue, knowledge, and self-control, what is often a major pitfall is our lack of patience. The way we learn patienc is by the trial of our patience. It is not an easy characteristic to own. Once we learn patience, however, we are better able to forgive those who offend or hurt us, and thus take on brotherly kindless and ultimately charity towards our fellow man.

We need to ask ourslves how well we fair with respect to each of Peter's identified characteristic. If we lack any one of them, the next step is to determine what is keeping him from achieving it and seek to reach the level of maturity needed to sustain one's relationships with others. Does it not make sense that to succeed in life, we also can follow Peter's example, and learn from Him?

I have, over the years, been reminded that each of us would fair better were we to have a mentor who could see through our self-center, and often devious ways. For those who do not have a mentor, perhaps Peter would serve you well. He has me. If I can help you work on it, please feel free to call me at 865-851-4844. Your friend, Don