“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thess 5.11).

Insights

• One form of Christian fellowship that can profit your spiritual life is a mentoring relationship. A mentoring relationship is established when a relatively experienced Christian assumes the responsibility of guiding and encouraging a less mature believer. This relationship often benefits the mentor as much as the protégé. The sincerity and enthusiasm of young believers can energize and challenge the spiritual life of experienced Christians.
• Sometimes Christians of similar spiritual maturity may develop a relationship of mutual accountability of encouragement in which neither party has a definite guiding role. Spiritual friendship should include discussion of difficulties and successes as well as sharing of prayer, praise, and encouragement.
• One of the most basic forms of Christian fellowship, church attendance, obviously promotes spiritual growth.
  
  

Exercise

Challenge the participants to seek out a fellow Christian with whom to share the progress of their devotional life over the course of a month.

Further Reading

Biehl, Bobb. Mentoring: Confidence in Finding a Mentor and Becoming One. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996.

Inrig, Gary. Quality Friendship. Chicago: Moody, 1981.

Logan, Robert E. “Mentoring: Another Way to Encourage.” Strategies for Today’s Leader July 1996: 7-9.