The Ultimate Mentor

"For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ."
Galatians 1:11-12 ESV

     Over the past several years I've become acquainted with a few key people that have shaped my life in many ways and opened my perspective and awakened my wisdom regarding many topics about life. One of my most recent mentors that has become one of my dearest friends to my wife and I is Jered Day, and to her, his wife Jenny. If you lined up all those that have been impacted by Jered throughout his ministry and his leadership, you could surely fill a stadium. But don't take Jered as the stadium type though, he's the one that truly takes time, one on one time, to teach and lead you in the direction your heart leads you, your Holy Spirit filled heart. I could go on about his mentorship but I would have to say that neither him, nor Paul or any of the great men of faith, could truly change my life like a revelation from Jesus does.

     In these couple of verses, Paul makes it clear that Jesus is the ultimate mentor. People can guide our perspective on life and making the right decisions but true encounters with Jesus can't be "taught". I was never taught the gospel by a man, the true gospel, Christ always revealed that to me through His words or the words of a man. You see, the gospel is just  God's word to us and He uses it to teach us but how many times have you heard the gospel but never let it sink in? Many times for me. Many Sundays too. Jesus uses the pourous material of the Holy Spirit to let His word sink in. You can teach me stuff all day but until I am ready to sit down one on one with Him over a cup of coffee, or in deep prayer, I won't truly learn anything. In those times is when He reveals the gospel to me. Yes, He may use sermons and messages or mentors, but He uses the material we hear or read to speak the gospel we need to absorb into our hearts.

Do you understand? How many times have you sat in church and not heard a word but waking up after a Sunday nap had a huge Jesus revelation? Maybe not that exact example but you understand my point, Jesus is the one that teaches us the gospel through a revelation from Him and that is what Paul is trying to say.

So, the most important aspect to take away from this post is the fact that you always need to be listening because He speaks to you more than just on Wednesdays and Sundays.