The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2, NASB)
Over the years I have been able to take lessons from a number of golf pros. The first one undid everything I had been doing (self-taught) and then taught me the basics of the golf swing. It was a painful transition but a needed one. The second pro taught me to maintain my posture over the ball and improved my swing path. The third one taught me about balance and helped remove some movement that was causing trouble. The most recent lesson was from our own Tracy Hanson, who in 10 minutes taught me more about sand play than I had learned in the previous 20 years. While still not my favorite place on the golf course, I no longer fear being in a sand trap. Sort of.
The point is we are born to reproduce. We see it in business, we see it in education, we see it in sports. Coaches who learned under another coach are often referred to as their disciples. “He learned under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke” or “she learned under Pat Summit at Tennessee.” We become like our teachers.
My first year as a believer had many ups and downs, and they brought frustration into my life. So I asked God for a mentor.
My first year as a believer had many ups and downs, and they brought frustration into my life. So I asked God for a mentor, someone who could teach me how to walk with him. Into my life came Max, and I spent the next three years meeting with him one-on-one and in small groups, learning how to get into God’s word and how to apply it. I spent time with Max learning how to minister to others, talking about how to be a better man, a better husband, etc. Max invested heavily in my life. Next up came Matt and Leslie. My wife and I spent two years learning from them. When they moved back to the States (we were all living in Germany at the time), John and Barbara came and took their place. We were with them for four years. In each of those relationships, as we were being ministered to, we were ministering to others. By investing in us, they were passing on what they knew about serving God as we passed it on to others. When we finally left Germany, through us, John and Barbara had ministries on six different military installations around the Frankfurt area. I am not boasting. Rather, I am telling you this because my wife and I are normal, average people who just happened to raise our hands and volunteer. It is simply God working out his plan to reach people through people.
When it came time for us to return to the States, we moved to Washington, DC, where we lived for 30 years. When we left there, I left my friend Michael who continued leading a group of businessmen in a fellowship in the city. Additionally, we had already started a golf-based fellowship at our golf course and today there are two groups still meeting at our old club.
We were born to reproduce. Do you have someone who has invested in your life? Someone who will love you and is willing to ask you hard questions? Ask God for one. Are you actively involved in ministering to others? Are you passing on what you have learned? When Jesus called the disciples to him in Matthew 4:19, he said, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
We were born to reproduce. Are you fishing?
—
Bob Kuecker
September 1, 2020
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