Finding Fruit: Keys to Getting the Right Mentor
Finding Fruit: Keys to Getting the Right Mentor
Having a wise mentor to help you navigate the ups and downs of life is a considerable advantage. There are many different areas of life that we can benefit from someone else’s wisdom and experience, but how do you identify these people. I recently sat down with my mentor Bob Harrison and discussed what he looks for in a mentor:
https://vimeo.com/1011752814%20
One of the key takeaways from this conversation that Bob brings up is that a mentor is equipped with more than “ideas.” They have a proven track record. The bible talks about the product of our lives as ‘fruit.’ The key to finding good mentors is finding good fruit, looks at this scripture:
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Luke 6:43-45 NIV
Fruit Inspection
One area of caution when identifying a mentor is that a person may excel in one area of life but be lacking in another. Great success in one area of life does not necessarily translate to success in every area of life, and as Bob said, mentors have such influence over our lives; we don’t want to pick up the negative aspects of their life.
Using the same analogy as fruit to consider the product of our lives. Mentoring is like sowing seeds that grow into fruit. Using good seeds is the key to producing a good, healthy harvest. The quality of seed matters.
My faith has always been central to my success in business and life. Having mentors is something that we see throughout the bible, however all people have blind spots and no one is perfect. My relationship with the Lord has consistently been a source of wisdom and support. If you are looking for leadership for your life, God is the perfect mentor. Consider this verse in the context of producing good fruit:
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit”
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV