Mentored Encouragement
By Anthony Casperson
9-19-26

Mentoring characters have been on my mind recently. It has to do with a texting conversation I had with a younger family member.

The details of the story aren’t mine to share, but the gist of the issue was that he felt incapable of doing something even though he really wanted to do it. He’d been given good advice, but that just increased his reluctance. I think he texted me for a second opinion, but I told him the advice he’d been given was the best thing he could do.

I tried to illustrate the need to do difficult things even though our worry tells us how terribly we’ll fail. As well, that the opportunities we truly desire are often locked behind difficult circumstances. We must face the hardships head on for all good things, because if they are actually good, then they’re worth the pain and struggle.

His texts stopped after that. For a few hours. Until he finally texted me, saying that he did the first step of the process. And it had gone well. A few days later, his excitement was obvious as another text came in saying that he’d completed the larger aspect of his pursuit. Again, with positive results.

My response—beyond congratulations—was to say, “Now you know that you can do difficult things.” I also told him to keep in mind moments like this excitement right now. When the next difficulty arises, he can use this memory as proof that the thoughts of failure are nothing but lies. He’s already proven perseverance through difficulty. And can do so again.

That’s the thing about mentor characters in stories. They’re not there to do the job for the younger protagonist. Powerful and capable though the mentor might be, their role is to speak the truth of the hero’s abilities. And then let the young protégé grow.

If the mentor just stepped up and did the job, how would the protagonist ever learn they could step up in each and every increasing difficulty? They had to rely on the mentor for the smaller things, so they need the mentor again for the slightly bigger thing.

However, when the mentor restrains their hand from doing the job, and lets the hero struggle—and succeed—then the protagonist will know more about their own capabilities. It’s required for the mentor to give words of advice, step back, and let the younger person try.

And even when less-than-successful moments happen, the protégé can still learn how to do better next time.

When it comes to followers of Jesus, we have an even greater aspect to this idea of being able to do difficult things. For us, it’s not just sheer willpower, natural talent, and our unique abilities. We have God on our side. The Spirit empowers us to do far more than we could possibly do for ourselves.

We can do difficult things, because his strength fills in our weaknesses.

I was trying to figure out a good passage to showcase this idea, but no one passage stood out to me as a single point of contact for us this week’s blog. So, instead, we’ll look at three different passages, each with a mentor encouraging a younger leader. (The fact that each one shows the mentor nearing their death at the time is merely a coincidence…I hope.)

Since we’ll go in chronological order, the first passage is Deuteronomy 31:7-8. Here, Moses is speaking to Joshua about taking over the leadership role for the people of Israel as they are about to enter the Promised Land.

Moses’ words remind Joshua that the journey ahead will be difficult, but Yahweh will be with him through it all. The mission ahead of him isn’t just a good thing, it’s a God-promised thing. Joshua can stand firm in any and every difficulty because entering and overtaking the land is God’s plan, not Moses’ or Joshua’s plan.

Now, when we speak of something being promised by God, we should make sure it truly is a promise from God to us. But when God’s promise is true, we can stand firm in moving forward.

But notice, again, Yahweh might take on an empowering role with Joshua, but God’s not doing it all himself either. Like a good mentor himself, Yahweh allows Joshua to do, work, and strive in this endeavor. There’s a reason why Moses tells Joshua to be strong and courageous.

If this were only a God-promised thing that God himself would make happen, then Joshua wouldn’t need to be strong and courageous. He could just sit back and do nothing. But since this is a God-promised thing that he chose to complete through Joshua, there is reason to be strong and courageous, even as the power of Yahweh enables him to do so.

Both sides are needed to complete the task. God takes care of his side to fulfill the things he actually promises. And we step up to work with strength and courage.

Our second passage comes from 1 Chronicles 28:20-21. This is King David telling his son, Solomon, about completing the building of the temple to Yahweh.

Like the Deuteronomy passage, this is a God-promised thing. Long before this moment, Yahweh had told David that his son would build a house for God. Solomon could rely on the empowering of God to complete this mission. However, this passage doesn’t just reiterate the ideas from the Deuteronomy passage, even if David also tells Solomon to be strong and courageous.

The thing that this passage adds to our thoughts today is that even if the mentor isn’t going to do the job for the younger person, that protégé isn’t alone.

David had been setting aside resources for many years to build the temple. He’d bought land for it. He’d made deals for the lumber. And plenty of other materials, he’d procured for the work.

But it wasn’t just David who’s work came alongside Solomon for this. Look at verse 21. The priests and Levites are ready to work alongside Solomon. Every skilled worker in the land has been prepped for the work. And even the nation’s leadership and population stands behind Solomon in the work.

We’re not alone in our difficulties. Not just Yahweh is with us—even though he’s enough for us to do the difficult things. No, we also have the friends and family and other allies working with us. There are people ready to encourage and support in whatever way is needed.

There’s a reason why protagonists often have more than just a mentor at their side. It takes a community working together to help prepare the hero for their ultimate task.

And our final passage for this blog comes from the New Testament. In 2 Timothy 1:3-7, Paul tells Timothy to continue on in the work that God had already begun in him.

Yet, it is not only Yahweh who has stood alongside Timothy. Paul calls to mind the training provided to the younger man through his mother and grandmother. How they instilled in him so much. As well, there had been leadership from the church who had laid their hands on Timothy. They stood, publicly proclaiming their trust in the work of the protégé. Timothy had a community surrounding him, even while he had the Spirit empowering him.

But doubts had still crept in. They’d left Timothy worried that he’d be incapable of doing the difficult parts of the task ahead of him.

This is why Paul sought to remind Timothy of how much he’d overcome already, with the power of the Spirit backing him. It was so that Timothy could look back at all of that and see the truth. Those moments had all been difficult as well. Painful. Heart-achingly troublesome.

But he had persevered. And so, Timothy could rely on the same God he’d called upon before, and complete the task ahead of him.

The Spirit is there to provide power and love and self-control. In the past. In the present. And in the future. The Spirit of the unfailing God will fulfill his purpose in us.

I don’t know what difficulty you’re facing right now. What good pursuit is locked behind a painful struggle. But I do know that, for the follower of Jesus, God-promised goodness is a pursuit that is worth every ounce of pain and suffering and struggle. And God is with us through it all, empowering us.

As well, we are not alone in the endeavor. There are other brothers and sisters in Christ who have been raised to stand beside us in the difficulties. Not to do it for us, but to be there if our strength begins to fail.

And finally, we’ve been through numerous difficulties before. Times when Yahweh has proven himself to us. And he will do so again. Even if this time is less-than-successful, we are able to learn and grow to do it better next time.

So, be strong and courageous. Stand with God. Stand with others around you. And recall the truth of previous victories whenever the lies try to shout about failures.

I can’t do the work for you. But I can provide the encouragement, and the reminder that you can do difficult things. Even more so, when God is with you in it.