Solutions April 2017 | Page 33

be a place they go to but a tribe they live in, a people they have responsibil- ity for and a family that nurtures one another in good times and in bad, in sickness and health, until death do us part. It is only when we find our people that we can fulfill our destinies. For us to live abundantly, it is critical that we see ourselves as a part of a family of believers, and not lone rangers. I love how The Message says, “Escape quickly from the company of fools; they’re a waste of your time, a waste of your words. The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track; the foolishness of fools lands them in a ditch.” (Proverbs 14:7-8). If you want to be a world-changer, you will need to learn the art of taking advice from mentors in your life. If you ask for input and then argue with the people who are counseling you, you are sending them a clear message that you do not value what they have to say. I am not saying to become a drone or don’t weigh advice; I am saying to allow people to speak into your life and hold it up to what God is saying. Below are 7 core values when look- ing for mentors and spiritual parents in your life: 1. Resonance: Do you feel a di- vine connection with the person and vibrate with the same spiritual frequency? 2. Tribe: Does the person see the world like you do and value the King- dom attributes that you value? 3. Purpose: What are you born to do and can this person help you on the journey? 4. Submitted: Are you submitted to listening to and heeding your po- tential mentors’ instruction, elevating their insight even more than your own ideas? 5. World Changer: Have you put yourself around bigger people than you? 6. Authenticity: Are you committed to authenticity and vulnerability as your mentor calls you to your great- ness? 7. Covenant: Is this relationship just for what you can get out of it, or are you committed to loving and serving when it is not convenient for you? I specifically want to highlight the importance of covenant relationships. Paul and Barnabas, Esther and Mor- decai, Ruth and Naomi, none of these world changers would have ever fulfilled their destiny apart from their mentors. And, they stuck to the rela- tionship even when it was not conve- nient! Do you think Esther would have become a queen without Mordecai? I seriously doubt it! Do you think Paul would have been received by believ- ers without Barnabas? Nope. Then there are Peter, James and John. Jesus always sent His disciples out in no less than groups of two. The apos- tles continued the same pattern in the early days of the church, always send- ing people out in teams. The people around us awaken the destinies dor- mant within us. The Scriptures describe men and women of God who took hold of their positions of divine influence to shift the Solutions 33