We become disciples of Christ the moment we are made spiritually alive by Christ’s grace (Eph 2:4-5). Answering His call to, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19), we begin to follow and learn from Him. The rest of our days are spent saying with Paul, “that I may know him [Jesus] and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil 3:10). As we pursue getting to know Jesus intimately, we start to live like Him. Being a disciple and discipling others is not a program but a way of life for the Believer. "Discipleship is not a program; it's a way of life." (Gallaty, 2019)

Mentoring is another word for discipling. Gender-specific mentoring is simply one way the Church obeys the Great Commission. It is one of God’s strategies to help protect and grow the Body of Christ. Titus 2:10b gives us God’s aim in discipleship, “….so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior”. In other words, God wants us to intentionally have cross-generational relationships with other women to show one another how to live out the beauty of the gospel. Mentoring is crucial. Titus 2:1 says, "But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine." Sound doctrine, or "what is good" (Titus 2: 3), is pure, healthy teaching that can only be found in the Word of God. The often-deafening voice of the culture is promoting a different doctrine - one that is hostile to God's design of gender, marriage, and sex. Where will women hear and learn the truth if not in the Church? We desperately need women willing to share the gospel and to teach how to live it. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

As we can see from the previous question, the pure spiritual milk of the Word is essential and where we want to begin. Without the bible, we don't know "what is good," and more importantly, without it, we won't know God. Psalm 110:5 "For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations." God is the good we teach. In relationship with each other, we want to show how to know and abide in Christ by developing habits of grace – habits like daily Bible reading and memorizing Scripture. Abiding in Christ is such a beautiful thing - it means to stay, to live, to make one's home (https://www.blueletterbible.org/); therefore, we want to show women how to conform to Christ, to be fixed in Him, make their home in Him. This, of course, is impossible apart from His Word. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Titus chapter 2 was given to help the Church maintain health, but verses 3-5 are also a description of what a spiritually mature woman looks like. No one is going to live this out perfectly, not even close, but if you desire to step out in faith and mentor – it is important to take some time to prayerfully examine your heart. The most important question to ask yourself is, have I been made alive by the good news of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection? Some other questions to consider are: Do I believe that Jesus is Lord and that my salvation is not dependent on me but is a gift from God (Eph 2:8-9)? Am I living in a way that honors God? Am I trustworthy? Am I regularly gazing at the beauty of Christ through His Word? Because no one is practically living out this description flawlessly, maturity will look like quicker repentance (a quicker agreeing with God and turning) when we fail.

Paul tells us in Titus 2:3-5 that younger women need to be taught and trained. This assumes that living like Christ doesn’t come naturally. We all need mentoring in some form. Younger ladies need the input of someone who has walked with God through multiple seasons – failures and all. A mature woman is a valuable resource. Keep in mind that we will always be less mature than someone but also more mature than someone else. We ought to be reaching down to the younger ladies and up to the older, giving and receiving.

The truth is, apart from Christ, we are all inadequate for this task. On our own, we are helpless and hopeless; but thankfully, we are not bringing women a message of our works. Rather, we are pointing them to a great Savior and what He has done. As Susan Hunt, author of "Spiritual Mothering," says, "We are not called to point to our own goodness. We are not the story. Jesus is the story. He is good."

There is a cost to investing in others – the biggest cost may be our time. God will honor this sacrifice. We were made for this type of fellowship and accountability. Even if our mentee never changes, our faith will grow. Though the Disciple Her groups forming through Faith Community Church Women’s Ministry will be more structured, mentoring won’t always look this way. Again, discipleship is a way of life. Are you leading a small group with your husband and would like to know how to better care for the women? Are you a youth group leader that would like to encourage your girls to develop daily patterns of Bible reading, memorizing, and prayer? Are you a mother faithfully discipling your children? Mentor training could be a benefit in all these areas.

Discipleship would be impossible without the Holy Spirit’s work in both the hearts of the mentor and the mentee. Understanding, conviction, and transformation are His work. Jesus promised His Spirit would be with us continually - so we can be sure He is side by side with us as we carry out the Great Commission. We should always be asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom. Godly leaders are also a good resource. And what better example of humility than to say to your mentee, "I don't know the answer, but let me prayerfully search that out with you." “…behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20