Investing for Impact
Investing for
Impact
By Steve Hopkins
Remember Joe? Just an average guy, he moved from his island home to the big city and got involved in a church. Before long, Joe gained the reputation of being an encourager and a sacrificial, generous giver–respected, but still average. Then things changed for Joe; and his journey from average to extraordinary began.
Joe’s story started to get interesting when a new believer tried to join the church, a man with a background that caused everyone to be cautious, everyone but Joe. He witnessed how the Father worked in this new believer and decided to take a chance. Joe walked that novice right into the leadership team meeting, sharing with them the evidence of the Father’s hand. Evidence that demanded a hearing.
Joe did not stop there. The church sent him to encourage new congregation. Determined to invest in the new believer, Joe brought him to the new church plant to join him as apprentice. When time came for the new church to sponsor a mission trip, Joe took his apprentice-turned-journeyman with him. The two added a protégé, and–no exaggeration–they changed their world.
You may have already recognized average Joe–better known as Barnabas (Acts 4:36-37). When you track the influence of Barnabas, it is off the charts. While mentoring Paul and John Mark (Acts 9:22-26; 11:22-25; 12:25), he led his team to establish new churches, defining the role of missions and missionaries (Acts 13:1-5). His background as a Levite from Cyprus equipped him to go to the Gentile world with the gospel. Adding the thirteen letters of Paul, the gospel Mark recorded, and the influence of Mark’s Gospel on Matthew and Luke–Barnabas influenced 60% of the New Testament.
Bible scholar and author Howard Hendricks writes, “So while we rightly think of Paul as the strategic spokesman for Christ in the New Testament, we must never forget that behind Paul there was a Barnabas. In fact, Paul seemed to be echoing Barnabas when he wrote to Timothy, ‘The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.’ (2 Timothy 2:2)” 1
I like this comparison: “Barnabas is a most underrated contributor to the spread of New Testament Christianity. In today’s modern athletic world, he would be one of those unsung linemen who renegotiates his contract upward to a multi-year multi-million-dollar one. And he would deserve it.” 2
What is keeping you from a legacy of influence like Barnabas? Do you have an investment strategy? While coaching and mentoring have become buzz words today, often the ‘average Joe’ and ‘average Jane’ cannot envision their name tag reading Coach or Mentor. Perhaps the idea of investment would free us to start. Like the investment broker’s dramatic illustrations of compound interest, we must see the long-term value of investing in the lives of those around us.
Definition
Robert Clinton and Paul Stanley define mentoring as “a relational experience in which one person empowers another by sharing God-given resources.” 3 Our God-given resources–knowledge, wisdom, skills, experiences, opportunities–are meant to be shared. Failure to invest exposes self-centered, selfish living. Hoarding all the Father has given produces a person like the unfaithful servant who fails to invest his talent (Matthew 25:24-30), or the vine which fails to produce fruit (John 15:2). As a follower of Christ, you must invest in others. Whatever you have learned from Him, you can pass on to others, if you are willing to share.
The goal is not to clone the mentor, but to help others grow toward their potential. Gary Mayes, who has made a huge investment in my own life, defines it as “coming alongside another person and sharing your resources with them in order to help them grow toward their potential.” 4 The Father has a unique plan for each believer, and His agenda supersedes the mentor’s agenda. Although important, content should not be the focus. Curriculum may be used, but the investment should not be curriculum driven. The Father’s work in their lives should emerge as the game plan. Our desire is to see them following THE Leader, not us. The ultimate goal: their faith will rest not on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power (1 Corinthians 2:5; see also 1 Corinthians 11:1).
Our investment can happen in many ways. It does not have to be highly structured, but it does need to be intentional. The relationship can be formal or informal, scheduled or sporadic. The exchange can take place over a long time or just once. Often it will be face-to-face, but it may happen over a long distance. Investment may be as simple as linking a person with important resources: relationships, contacts, networks, opportunities, methods, experiences, information, and skills. Investment can also come by modeling habits and disciplines that help them take the next step in their walk with Christ. Insights learned, discernment developed, character issues refined, and perspectives gained through life experiences–all expand your investment. These simple relational deposits are worth more than gold.
Investment requires involvement. At times, you will need to walk in the trenches alongside others, and it will get messy. It may even hurt. Loving the way Jesus loved demands we get into their world. A verse that has challenged me for years is John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Emphasis added). Had Jesus stopped with “love one another,” it would be much easier. However, He added five words, “as I have loved you,” forever raising the bar on what it means to love. Jesus defined biblical love: He left His world–heaven–and came to my world–earth–and sacrificially gave Himself away to meet my greatest need–forgiveness of sins–that I might have a relationship with the Father. Jesus gave the criteria by which people will identify us: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Misconceptions
Misconceptions can sabotage our efforts to invest in others. 5 The most common misconception is that the investor must be a wise old person with all the answers to all the questions. We get the image of Yoda. . . or Gandalf. . . or Mr. Miyagi, the problem is they are not real. We need multiple mentors, with different life experiences, who can help with specific growth areas of our life. We must not expect one person to be our guru for all of life, and we must never present ourselves to another as such. Age is not nearly as important as experience. Having problems with your smart phone? Find a sixteen-year-old to mentor you. When we let go of this misconception, we discover there are scores of people who could benefit from our life experience and insight.
A sibling to the first misconception can be the feeling we are not qualified to invest in another. If you are learning and growing in your relationship with Christ and are willing to share what you are learning, you qualify. Again, you are not required to have all the answers, to be the perfect model, or to hold the key for a dramatic breakthrough. Claiming to be unqualified can be an expression of pride; believing it is really about me and what I have to offer. Never underestimate the work of the Father in your life and His ability to multiply the loaves and fishes when placed in His hands.
A third common misconception causes us to doubt the value of merely spending time with another. In reality, each mundane moment you spend with someone can create incremental value, building a meaningful influence over time. Gary Mayes suggests, “The remarkable impact of mentoring is not in the drama of a single moment, but in the cumulative impact of one person sharing their life and their experience with another over time.” 6 Mentoring changes lives by consistently investing, even in small amounts.
STRATEGY
To start developing your own investment strategy, first look at the possibilities around you. Take a piece of paper and ask the Father to bring to mind the people that cross your path on a regular basis. Family, friends, co-workers, a new member in your Sunday School class or small group, the person who suggested in passing you get together for coffee–there is little risk in getting their name down and beginning to pray. Then look for opportunities to establish a relationship; it all starts with relationship. Sometimes an investment relationship just happens naturally. Others require efforts that are more deliberate. You do not have to become best friends to invest in someone, but you do need a relationship. Do not do ministry alone, take someone with you; see every ministry opportunity as a mentoring opportunity.
Next, determine the need, and consider what you have to offer. Approach the relationship with the attitude: I am here to help, and I will do what I can. Do not force it. When you live a Romans 12 life–surrendered, authentic, humble, loving, diligent, et cetera–and make yourself available, there will be no shortage of opportunities. If you take on the mind of Christ, looking out not for your interests, but for the interests of others (Philippians 2:1-5), there will be no need to take out an ad for protégés. More than likely, your most difficult decisions will concern the limitations of time and energy.
If the relationship becomes more formal, such as a mentoring or coaching opportunity, clearly define expectations. When appropriate, questions about how regularly you will meet, accountability, communication channels, confidentiality and closure need to be addressed.7 Six-month time commitments give you both an opportunity to opt-out or re-up. Guidelines are very helpful to establish the relationship, but do not let the relational aspects be hampered by unnecessary formality.
One of the best ways to develop as a mentor is to be mentored. Terry Walling recommends developing multiple mentors as part of his focused-living process. 8 We greatly enhance our development with a balance of mentoring relationships. Some will be mentors who are steps ahead of us in experience and knowledge. Others will be peers who can provide objective perspectives and help us think through situations. As we gain insights from those who invest in us, we are better equipped to share our lives with those the Father brings our way.
My experience with MasterLife became a significant spiritual marker in my life. Avery Willis challenged me with the simple plan– “one person is to disciple one or more until the one being discipled can disciple yet a third person. Then the two should win two others and disciple them, and so forth.” 9 Following the plan, if every person would invest in another for six months, and they would follow the model, the entire population of the world could be touched in a little over sixteen years! It is not rocket science. We can change the world, one life at a time.
Finally, never underestimate the importance of prayer. Pray for opportunities to invest your life, and trust the Father to open doors. Pray for those who are in your circle of influence, and watch to see how the Father is at work in their lives. The familiar words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning have echoed in my heart for years: "Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God, But only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round and pick blackberries." I do not want to be picking blackberries when investment opportunities come my way!
CHALLENGE
People who played the supporting role fill the pages of the Bible, encouraging and investing in the lives of others. We find Joseph, supporting Mary as she carried our Lord; Joanna and Susanna, supporting Jesus and the disciples; Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus who refreshed Paul’s spirit. The list could go on and on, many whose names we may never know. The unnamed armor-bearer in 1 Samuel 14 provides an excellent example. God gave Jonathan a hill to take, but he needed help. After he shared his vision, his armor-bearer responded, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart” (v. 7). The result was the Lord saved Israel that day (v. 23).
Look around you. Is there a Paul who needs a Barnabas to get started, a Jonathan who needs an armor-bearer for the fight, an Esther who needs the courage of Mordecai? Can you imagine the joy in heaven for a tailor named J.D. Prevatt, who put his arm around a sixteen-year-old Billy Graham and shared the plan of salvation? 10 It is not a coincidence that you are where you are at any given moment. The Father has placed people in your circle of influence. With whom could you share your life? Today you can make an investment. Then watch for the returns, all for His glory.
ENDNOTES
1 Hendricks, Howard and William, Building Character in a Mentoring Relationship as Iron Sharpens Iron (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 131.
2 Clinton, Bobby and Laura Raab Barnabas: Encouraging Exhorter, A Study in Mentoring (Altadena, CA: Barnabas Publishers, 1997), 9.
3 Clinton, J. Robert and Paul D. Stanley Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1992), 33.
4 Mayes, Gary. Unpublished sermon at Violet Baptist Church, Pickerington, Ohio, 20 October 2002. (See www.aboutLEADING.com and www.noredcapes.com)
5 Biehl, Bobb Mentoring: Confidence in Finding a Mentor and Becoming One (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996), 39-43.
6 Mayes, Gary “The Illusion of Mentoring” http://aboutleading.com/2008/12/04/the-illusion-of-mentoring, 4 December 2008.
7 Clinton, J. Robert and Paul D. Stanley Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1992), 198-208.
8 Walling, Terry Focused Living Retreat Workbook (Chicago: ChurchSmart, 2001), 42-49. (See www.leaderbreakthru.com)
9 Willis, Avery The Biblical Basis of Missions (Nashville: Convention Press, 1979), 87-88.
10 Graham, Billy Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham (New York: HarperCollins, 1997), 29.
