The Beauty of Mentoring a Younger Couple - Crosswalk Couples Devotional - September 18
Crosswalk Couples Devotional
Audio By Carbonatix
By Vivian Bricker, Crosswalk.com
The Beauty of Mentoring a Younger Couple
By: Vivian Bricker
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
Many married couples miss the opportunity to disciple younger couples and mentor them. This should not be overlooked because it can help you pass your wisdom to other couples. Even if you and your spouse are not older in years, it can still be a beneficial exercise. As long as you are ten or fifteen years older than the couple you are mentoring, it can be a good match.
It is important to remember that your marriage doesn’t have to be perfect in order for you to mentor other couples. Nobody’s marriage is perfect. Struggles, arguments, and challenges are all things that we can learn from and pass on to other couples. My grandparents went through a particularly hard time after their son passed away. He was only eight years old when he passed, and it left my grandparents heartbroken.
Instead of drawing closer to each other, my grandmother pushed my grandfather away. She needed time by herself, but she ended up developing depression. Back then, the treatment was lots of bed rest. As we know now, this is not a good treatment plan for those of us who struggle with depression. However, this is what doctors told my grandmother at the time, and she listened to what they said.
My grandparents eventually reconciled, but their marriage was always bumpy after this traumatic event. Even if you have gone through something traumatic like my grandparents did, you are still more than qualified to mentor younger couples. In fact, one could argue that you are even more qualified because you have gone through some tough challenges and difficult encounters. Share your knowledge and wisdom with younger couples, and help them with their struggles.
They will appreciate your wise counsel and instruction. It is normally on our hardest days that we see God most clearly. As you share your experiences with younger couples, tell them about the goodness of the Lord and how He helped you and your spouse get through challenging times. Don’t be afraid to be raw and honest about what happened in your marriage. This will help the beauty of Jesus shine all the greater.
The importance of sharing our wisdom is found in our passage today, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). Paul tells us here that we are supposed to entrust our wisdom to others. Just as we have listened to what Paul has said and his teachings from the Lord, we also need to help others learn these teachings. When mentoring younger couples, we need to counsel and instruct them in the Lord.
They will follow our example as we follow Jesus’ example. Marriage is not an easy commitment—it is an active choice we have to make every day. We cannot simply walk out on our spouse for any and every reason. By mentoring younger couples, we can help them know the beauty of staying, sticking it out through hard situations, and loving their spouse as Jesus commands.
While mentoring can bring up buried wounds, it is essential to help other couples. It would be helpful to talk about any issues that arise with your spouse. This is especially true if infidelity or addiction are in you or your spouse’s past. Bringing up these concerns, struggles, and triggers to your spouse can help release your feelings, pain, and unresolved grief. Your spouse will be able to comfort you and bring peace to your heart. Bring these feelings to God and allow Him to surround you with His peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Prayer:
“Dear God, please help my spouse and me to be good mentors to younger couples. Give us direction, counsel, and wisdom as we take this new step in our marriage. I’m aware that mentoring can bring up many suppressed topics, but I am willing to face these struggles. Please give me strength and hope as we are mentoring younger couples. Thank You, God. In Your Son’s Name, I pray, Amen.”
Vivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate: https://cultivatechristianity.wordpress.com/.
Related Resource: 3 Simple Ways to Feed Your Spouse More Praise
How often do you intentionally stop to praise your spouse? To recognize and affirm their character or actions? Many of us probably cringe at answering these questions because we know we could do better! If you struggle to feed your spouse praise regularly, this episode is for you. Listen in as we share some practical steps we all can take to criticize less and affirm and build up our spouse more. If this episode helps your marriage, be sure to subscribe to Team Us on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode.
