During a season when I was wrestling with disappointment and discouragement, an older woman from church unexpectedly reached out to me. She had noticed my unusual quietness during a session at church and invited me to meet her for golgappas the following week. I presumed I would have to sit through a session of advice or correction, but she surprised me.
Over plates of crispy pooris filled with tangy water, we talked about life, family, work, and ministry. She said that she had noticed my work in the church and encouraged me to continue with the same dedication and diligence. She did not explicitly ask about why I was discouraged, but said that I should not let doubt talk me out of what God had clearly asked me to do.
I hadn’t realised how much I needed to hear that. I had been showing up, serving, smiling, but inside I questioned if what I was doing was adequate or even good enough. Her words felt like confirmation straight from the Lord. Over the next couple of months, she encouraged me with text messages, calls, suggestions, scripture verses, and prayers. She guided me back into a healthy and fruitful ministry at church.
She did not pry into my reasons for inactivity or details of a certain injustice; rather, she suggested ways to use my skills for the benefit of all and for the glory of God. She did not critique my actions or dismiss my thoughts, but gently mentored me to mould my plans into workable events. If not for her at that time of my life, I would have been lost in doubt and insecurity, failing to live out God’s plan for me. God used her to mentor me exactly when I was ready to shrink back.
In every season of life, women need other women. We need voices that remind us who we are when we forget. We need steady hands when life feels overwhelming. We need examples of faith lived out in homes, boardrooms, churches, and quiet prayer closets. Christian mentorship provides a sacred space where wisdom is shared, faith is strengthened, and lives are transformed.
Mentorship is not a modern invention. It is woven throughout Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, we see a pattern of one generation pouring into another. For Christian women especially, mentorship is a powerful way to grow in spiritual maturity, emotional resilience, and godly confidence.
Titus 2:3–5 gives one of the clearest biblical foundations for women mentoring women: “Older women… are to teach what is good, and so train the young women…” This passage is not limited to age alone. It speaks to spiritual maturity. Any woman who has walked with God through trials and triumphs has something valuable to share.
One of the most beautiful mentoring relationships in Scripture is between Naomi and Ruth. After devastating loss in a foreign land, Naomi could have withdrawn in bitterness. Instead, she allowed Ruth to walk closely with her, returning to her own land. Naomi guided Ruth in navigating a new culture, encouraged her to trust in God’s provision, and gave her wise counsel regarding Boaz.
Naomi did not have a perfect faith. She wrestled with grief and doubt. Yet her honesty and experience shaped Ruth’s future. Ruth’s declaration, “Your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16), shows the powerful spiritual influence Naomi had on her life.
When the angel announced to Mary that she would bear the Son of God, she was filled with confusion and uncertainty. She travelled to visit Elizabeth, an older relative who was also experiencing a miraculous pregnancy. Elizabeth did not dismiss Mary’s story. Instead, she affirmed her: “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her” (Luke 1:45). Elizabeth’s encouragement strengthened Mary’s faith during a vulnerable time.
Paul’s mentoring of Timothy offers principles that apply to all contexts. Paul encouraged, corrected, and affirmed Timothy. He reminded him to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6). He shared both instruction and affection, calling Timothy “my beloved son.” In a culture that prizes independence and self-promotion, mentorship offers something countercultural: humility and interdependence. It reminds us that we are part of the Body of Christ.
Mentoring is not something that happens in a two-day seminar, but in ordinary spaces. When women share their testimonies, walls come down. Psalm 145:4 declares, “One generation shall commend your works to another.” When women disciple women, we participate in that holy calling.
If you are longing for a deeper connection, pray for a mentor. If you have walked with Christ through valleys and victories, consider who might need your guidance. Someone needs your story. And through the simple act of walking together, God can shape generations.
Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
