A LOOK AT MENTORING FROM THE BOOK OF RUTH:

I. What is Mentoring?

A. Definition from Colliers: “A wise and faithful teacher, guide, and friend; an elderly monitor or

advisor.”

1. Biblical word is “teacher” (Gk. - didaskalos), not mentor (mentopas).

2. That takes care of the question of “age” – a teacher has a skill-set to impart to others, not age-dependent, but experience and practice dependent.

3. In the definition, there are two qualities needed: “wisdom” and “faithfulness”.

4. Mentoring is a relationship between an experience person and a less experienced person for the purpose of helping or training the less experienced one.

a) Mentors answer questions the student/disciple has concerning a task to reach a specific goal.

b) Mentors provide wisdom, guidance, and counsel to advance the disciple’s life, career, education, relationships, etc.

c) Ps. 19:7 – The testimony/witness of the Lord is sure/firm support; nurturing; making wise (in mind, word, & act) the simple/naïve.

B. Types of Mentoring Relationship:

1. Informal Mentoring – spontaneous relationship with another person; this is what we most

often experience as we befriend someone. We naturally ask our friend’s counsel on things in

our lives.

2. Structured Mentoring – A leader without a business or church setting takes on a person specifically with the goal to train them in an area or for a task. This would include leadership development skills.

3. Peer Mentoring – This is found often in educational settings; an upper classman (i.e., peer) monitors (i.e., advises and warns or reminds) a fellow student/peer.

4. Community Mentoring – Pro. 11:14 – “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

C. A Mentor’s Goals:

1. See the need and focus goals to meet that need.

2. Make it easy and engaging for the disciple.

3. Manage the process.

II. Naomi Mentors Ruth

A. Sees the Need; Provokes the Disciple

1. Need: Ruth 1:8-13 – for restoration and provision (husbands); Naomi felt inadequate due to her life’s circumstances.

a) Provocation will “arouse” retreat, anger, or acceptance to advance. It’s the latter you want to promote and work with.

b) Orpah retreats: she wanted her need met but didn’t want to pursue a new culture/God.

c) Ruth declares her desire to learn, change, and grow. (v. 15-17)

B. Make is easy and engaging

1. Ruth 1:19-20 – Began with honesty. Open hearted communication removes the mask of deception.

2. Ruth 2:1-3 – Ruth initiated her direction with Naomi’s counsel of “Go, my daughter.” The disciple has to be self-motivated to have a goal to help them overcome their needs.

C. Manage the Process!

1. Enlist other mentors as needed – Ruth now has two mentors! – Ruth 2:8-9

a) Naomi managed the process by encouraging Ruth to “go”.

b) Boaz is enlisted to help (Ruth 2:5-12) – counsels her to stay in his field & w/the young women.

– v.8 – sets boundaries for Ruth (“do not glean in another field, nor go from here…but stay close by my young women”) – perimeter of group and companionship to bring stability and focused attention.

2. Boaz manages the process (Ruth 2:14-16) by setting Ruth in an environment to succeed:

a) v.16 – let grain fall purposely for her – i.e., give a specific task and the resources to do it.

b) Leave it for her to glean (pick up; collect oneself) – allow the person to do it their satisfaction

c) Do not rebuke (shame; taunt; insult; humiliate) her – be encouraging; don’t expect her to do it the way you would do it.

d) v. 17-19 – Ruth gleaned, beat out the grain, took it to Naomi w/satisfaction, i.e., success!

3. Naomi’s directive questions: Ruth 2:19 – “Where have you worked?”

a) Needs disciple to give testimony to success.

b) Spoke blessing over Boaz and explained who he is – v.19-20.

c) Adjusts Ruth’s understanding of Boaz’s counsel: Ruth 2:8, 21-23 – sometimes what a person hears in counsel given is not actually what was said. Questions bring out their understanding of what they heard.

- “stay close to my young women”

- “that people will not meet you in any other field” – (specific place to grow/learn)

4. The test of patience: (Ruth 3:1)

a) Naomi keeps focus on goal of meeting Ruth’s need of restoration and provision. (Ruth 1)

b) Naomi directs Ruth to engage Boaz in a private conversation on threshing floor which will then require:

c) A period of patient waiting upon the Lord to work on her behalf (Ruth 3:18)

d) Goal reached; need met: Ruth 4:1-15 – Boaz redeems & marries Ruth; people & elders bear witness; women bless Naomi.