I’m at the National Outreach Convention, in San Diego, CA.¬† We’re introducing Sermolcious to the North American Church.¬† My partners at Floodgate – Jason and Dave – are with me.¬† We’re having some fantastic fun.
While eating lunch in a busy cafe, I noticed that I recognized the guy eating at the table behind ours.  He was the Director of my seminary program in Los Angeles Рan experience that was amazing for me.  This man, along with the help of some incredible people at Hope International University, pieced together a program that would change my life.
This man would change my life too.  He would challenge me, accept me, love me, teach me, and support me.
We all have people in our lives who push us to do better.  These can be good people pushing us.  But they can also be bad people pushing us.  They can use love, or they can use fear.  They can use grace, or they can use guilt.  The end result is the same Рwe do better.
You can probably think of people who motivated you to do better Рfrom both sides of the moral tracks. There have been good people.  And there have been  __ holes, too.  Those people have been Influencers.
But my contention is that they have not been Mentors.  Not yet, at least.
A real mentor is that person who not only pushes us to do better.  A real mentor causes us to BECOME better.  There is not simply a change in the things we do.  These people help us change the people we ARE.
As I finished lunch today, I realized that this man had done the latter.  Just being around him for three years had caused me to BECOME someone different.  I am literally a different person today because of him.
What about you?¬† I have a challenge for you.¬† Would you please do two things…?
1.  Name your mentor here.
2.  Email your mentor, and send him/her this link, sharing it with that person.
I feel like it’s the least we can do for these people who have literally helped change us for the better.¬† Because you know you’ve been mentored if you’ve become a different person as a result of their loving involvement in your life.
