An acquaintance of mine asked a great question several days ago: 'To anyone who has had a "mentor" in their life....What is the most important thing that he or she taught you?"
She probably doesn't realize it but she unofficially mentors many and does it in the best way by asking questions that make people think. Her question certainly made me think as I reflected on a lesson my former manager/mentor taught me some time ago. The year was 2003 and I had just been promoted to unit manager. He was my boss when I was a supervisor and assumed the role of mentor once I transitioned into the new job. His words of wisdom?
She probably doesn't realize it but she unofficially mentors many and does it in the best way by asking questions that make people think. Her question certainly made me think as I reflected on a lesson my former manager/mentor taught me some time ago. The year was 2003 and I had just been promoted to unit manager. He was my boss when I was a supervisor and assumed the role of mentor once I transitioned into the new job. His words of wisdom?
'You are now at a place where you have a great deal of responsibility, 'many balls in the air'. Understand that eventually, one will drop .... MAKE SURE IT'S NOT THE GLASS ONE!
I thought he was teaching me a business principle. Turns out he was teaching me a life principle. And, through all of the ups and downs and twists and turns, the balancing and juggling act called life - there are several balls which indeed have dropped ... all except the glass one.
That glass ball, well, it represents my faith in God and commitment to His principles. I have learned that many things can drop: some will bounce so that you can grab hold of them again and some will fall and roll away. Yet this one ball has remained.
Don't allow its description to fool you. While it is the glass ball, it is by no means fragile. Yet it is of ultimate importance, which is why it cannot be dropped. It is foundational and can redeem any of the other balls of life which may get away from you.
How important is faith? Important enough for Jesus to tell Peter, 'I have prayed for you that your faith would not fail ...' (Lk. 22:32) And I believe He has prayed that same prayer for many of us. If we can hold onto faith, it will take care of all the other 'balls'. Seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, all other things shall be added as well. (Mt. 6:33)
Therefore,
'Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering ...'
Hebrews 10:23
Let us cling unswervingly to this one thing, 'faith': in God, through Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Afterall, it is certainly much easier to hold onto one ball than it is to juggle fifty.
In this life, with all that we must manage, at least one ball will inevitably drop ... Make Sure It's Not the Glass One!
Let us cling unswervingly to this one thing, 'faith': in God, through Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Afterall, it is certainly much easier to hold onto one ball than it is to juggle fifty.
In this life, with all that we must manage, at least one ball will inevitably drop ... Make Sure It's Not the Glass One!
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