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NFL Coach Tony Dungy once said, “Mentors build mentors. Leaders build leaders. When you look at it closely, it’s really one and the same thing.”

A mentor is a trusted advisor or influential leader. When athletes need help growing in their skills, they go to someone better than they are who has had hands-on experience in their sport. They seek a mentor who has an interest in building them up. And eventually, as they grow in their own skill, they can also begin to mentor and help develop younger athletes. It is a cycle of provision and help. This is how teams become great.

Jesus used this exact method with His disciples. He grabbed 12 guys and taught them how to become more like Him. He taught them how to pray, how to understand the Bible, what to do and what not to do, and even how to preach the Gospel. Jesus was their mentor. After Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He left His disciples with a message: “It’s your turn.” The disciples began to mentor and disciple those around them. This cycle continued repeatedly over centuries, eventually finding its way to me and you. Now, it is our turn!

God wants us to become mentors and also have a mentor. He knows His children need help, so He has designed a perfect plan. He has raised up leaders in our communities and churches to help lead us and grow us. These mentors hold us accountable, teach us about God, and help us in our hard times. After listening and increasing in our faith, God empowers and equips us to lead others younger than us. When we remain faithful to the cycle of sitting and listening, then going out and repeating it to another, we are not just mentoring but building up leaders for our teams, school, church, community and beyond.

The cycle began with Jesus, and now it is for us to continue.