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-IPC is a tool to help us understand our mentee (and ourselves)
Identity is WHO WE ARE
Purpose is WHAT WE DO
Community is HOW WE BLESS AND ARE BLESSED BY OTHERS
King David had a high sense and value for HIS OWN identity, purpose, and community, therefore he was FREE to speak into and bless Mephibosheth’s IPC as well!
-Identity: David sits comfortably on his throne and yells Mephibosheth!
-Purpose: David gives Mephib’s rule over Saul’s kingdom and is not threatened
-Community: David invites Mephib to eat at his family’s table daily because he knows there’s enough food
Our PURPOSE is a direct result of our IDENTITY. How do I know what I’m supposed to do? It all starts with who I am!
One Friday morning I woke up went out to the garage and started working on some furniture for our living room. Fast forward to an hour later when I was sitting in the ER having nearly cut off my toe. The problem was rooted in using the wrong tools for the job and being ill-equipped for the potential dangers of the task. If I had a higher respect for what could happen, I wouldn’t have been wearing flip flops while using power tools in the garage.
There is always a danger in using a tool in a way that goes outside of its identity. Ever use a crescent wrench as a hammer (let’s be honest, we use everything as a hammer!) I once used a pocket knife to unsuccessfully pick a lock (yes I still have the scar on my finger). Ok, yes, I have a track record for confusing a tool’s identity with its intended purpose because I’m lazy and don’t wanna go get the right tool out of the toolbox!
When we respect and value our IDENTITY as children of God, we make better choices when considering our intended PURPOSE in life which is to worship and serve the Lord! That, in turn, gives us confidence to care for and speak into our mentees’ purpose.
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Creators and Guests
What is You Can Mentor: A Christian Youth Mentoring Podcast?
You Can Mentor is a network that equips and encourages mentors and mentoring leaders through resources and relationships to love God, love others, and make disciples in their own community. We want to see Christian mentors thrive.
We want to hear from you! Send any mentoring questions to hello@youcanmentor.com, and we'll answer them on our podcast. We want to help you become the best possible mentor you can be. Also, if you are a mentoring organization, church, or non-profit, connect with us to join our mentoring network or to be spotlighted on our show.
Please find out more at www.youcanmentor.com or find us on social media. You will find more resources on our website to help equip and encourage mentors. We have downloadable resources, cohort opportunities, and an opportunity to build relationships with other Christian mentoring leaders.
You can mentor is a network that equips and encourages mentors and mentoring organizations through resources and relationships to love God, love others, and make disciples. Learnmore@youcanmentor.com or follow us on social media. You can mentor.
Speaker 2:Hello. You can mentor listener. This is John b, and this is your mentoring minute. We are right in the middle of our IPC series of Mentoring Minute, where we are talking about identity, purpose, and community. This episode, we are going to discuss purpose.
Speaker 2:If you will remember, the IPC is a tool that we use to help us understand our mentee and, well, ourselves as well. So what is the IPC? It begins with identity, and that is who we are. It then goes to purpose, and that is what we do based on who we are. And finally, the IPC lands on community, and that is how we bless and are blessed by others.
Speaker 2:We are using King David as our model as he had a high sense and value for his own identity purpose and community. Therefore, he was free to speak into and bless Jonathan's son, let's say it together, Mephibosheth, his IPC as well. So if you will remember, David's identity was secure as he was sitting on his throne that day when Mephibosheth enters into the palace room, and David jumps up out of the throne, yells Mephibosheth with all kinds of excitement identifying who he is. If you know what Mephibosheth means, there's extra points here. It means shame no more.
Speaker 2:There is no more shame in you. So think about what a powerful image that is as a mentor can speak the name of the mentee and say, there is no more shame here. You are free. You are welcome. You are accepted.
Speaker 2:Right? And so when we have that free identity, when we understand that we are children of God, we can identify that in our mentee as well. We have the freedom to do that. And so next, it's the purpose. David gives Mephibosheth rule over Saul's, his grandfather's kingdom.
Speaker 2:And David is no way threatened by that because he knows that that is not taking away from him. Oftentimes in life, you know, we can freely give when we know that it doesn't threaten what we have, when we know that we're not in any way going to be at a loss. And that is such a powerful thing that we get to see David, showing his purpose by ruling well to reinstate Mephibosheth's rule. And finally, community. If you remember in second Samuel chapter 9, David, it mentions 3 times that David invited Mephibosheth to eat at his family's table each and every day, and it said he did that every single day he would go and eat at David's table.
Speaker 2:So our purpose is a direct result of our identity. Right? Because of who we are, this is what we do. How do I know what I'm supposed to do? It all starts with having a very clear understanding of who I am.
Speaker 2:Okay. Story time. 1 Friday morning, I woke up, then I went out to the garage, and I started working on some furniture for our living room. Now fast forward to an hour later when I was sitting in the ER having nearly cut off my toe. Now the problem was rooted in using the wrong tools for the job and being ill equipped for the potential dangers of the task.
Speaker 2:If I had a higher respect for what could happen, I wouldn't have been wearing flip flops while using power tools in the garage. So are you guys picturing that understanding me here? I get up, go to do this, little job that I'm thinking, oh, this will take no time, but I am not prepared, and I'm using the wrong tools for the job. So there's always a danger in using a tool in any way that goes outside of its identity. Right?
Speaker 2:Have you ever used a crescent wrench as a hammer? And let's be honest, we kinda use everything as a hammer, don't we? I, in fact, I once used a pocket knife to unsuccessfully pick a lock. And, yes, I still have the scar on my finger. Okay.
Speaker 2:So I've got a track record of confusing a tool's identity with its intended purpose because, well, I'll admit I'm lazy, and I don't wanna go get the right tool out of the toolbox. But that, my friends, is the problem. So when we respect and value our identity as children of God, I believe we make better choices when considering our our intended purpose in life, which is to worship and serve the Lord. That in turn gives us confidence to care for and to speak into your mentee's purpose. So first and foremost, before we go thinking about and considering how our mentee's purpose and identity are shaping up together, I want you to take a moment this week and simply think about yours.
Speaker 2:Is what you do in line with who you are? Is because the fact you love the Lord and you are called by name as the scripture says, you have been redeemed, but are you living a life are you is your life showing the purpose that your identity, should reflect? That's a wonderful question. It's something to be prayerful about. It's something to really look in a very practical way to see if you are living out that identity in that way.
Speaker 2:And when you are, I think that you are going to be freed up that much more to speak into the identity and purpose of your mentee. Thank you for the work that you do. Thank you for investing in the lives of young people. Thank you for understanding that we simply have to be aware of what is going on in our heart and in our life before we can begin to be clear, prayers and mentors of others. So we wanna remind you that you can mentor.
Speaker 1:Thanks for tuning in to the You Can Mentor podcast. Please share this with other mentors and download our free resources on our website. You can also order Zach's book, You Can Mentor, or John's book, Mephippseth, on Amazon. Lastly, we'd really appreciate it if you gave us a 5 star rating on whatever listening platform you are tuning in on. If you'd like to connect with us further, please contact us through our website because we're always looking for new guests or connections.
Speaker 1:Thank you. And remember, you can mentor.