Doctor's Visit

Convinced he was at the end of his life, a man walks into his doctor’s office in pretty bad shape. The doctor sits down and says, “you don’t look so bad, tell me what’s going on.” The man replies, “Doc, it’s really bad, I hurt everywhere. When I touch my head, it hurts, when I touch my chest it hurts, when I touch my stomach it hurts, doctor even when I touch my foot it hurts. I can’t go on, can you help me?” The doctor smiles and says, “of course, your finger is broken!”

How often do we overcomplicate things and miss the answers that are right in front of us? We get so caught up in our anxieties and crazy thinking we can’t see the simple truth. That’s where mentors are so important. A Core Conviction we talk about is “Be the expert”, Whatever you choose to do, choose to do it with a level of expertise. While this means constantly be learning and growing in your craft, it also requires the humility to surround yourself with others and seeking a mentor. Someone who cares about you enough to tell you the sober truth. Someone you can go to when you seem to hurt everywhere and can’t figure out what to do. The right mentor can help because they’ve been there, and as Mike Hardwick so often teaches, A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. Find a mentor with experiences you can learn from. Also, be willing to be a mentor to others.

In the Bible, Paul was a willing mentor to Timothy. While Timothy was a young pastor, he reminded him of the importance of pouring into others with confidence:

Seek and share perspectives, wisdom, and truth. The next time you just can’t figure it out, whatever “It” is, ask someone who has been in your shoes and have the humility to listen.