Over and Under

Moses and Joshua.

Which one was more important to the other?  It's an impossible question to answer because these men were totally interdependent. Each man's success required the success of the other. Joshua needed Moses as a mentor to build his foundation as a leader, while Moses needed Joshua as a successor to complete his assignment. One without the other would prove ineffective. This is the principle of 'over and under'.

It means that those in ministry and leadership should always pursue  mentoring from those over them, and practice mentoring those under them. This two-way connectivity allows the older generation to access the strength and passion of the younger, and the younger generation the opportunity to access the wisdom and experience of the older.  A missing link weakens the entire chain.

Why is pursing a mentor that is over me important?

Over 140 college credit hours,
23 bible and ministry classes, and 3 levels of ministry credentialing...this is the professional training I've received to prepare me for a career in leadership.

10...this is the number of mentors (other than family) who have made significant leadership investments into my life.  Pastors like Marvin Gorman, Dr. Ron Phillips, Glenn Dorsey, Robbie Holcomb, Mike Glover, and Boyd Smith. Professors and teachers like Al Skoog, David Neiderbrach, Kelly Dame, and David Hall. All of them going above and beyond their formal assignments to make sure I was well-equipped for mine.

These 10 relationships did more to prepare me to lead people than all the formal education did. So why do we invest so much time and energy into formal education while neglecting mentoring relationships?  We need a balance of formal education and practical impartation.

Now, pursuing a mentor over us affirms that we realize our need to receive, but we must also realize that others need us to give. For that reason, we must not neglect to mentor those under us.

The fact is that no matter how young or 'new' to ministry or leadership we may be, there is always someone who can benefit from the experience and wisdom we've gained up to this point. And as we pour into someone 'under' us, we are, like Moses, borrowing someone else's strength to extend and complete our own assignment.

We will spend the next 2 posts discussing how to develop over and under relationships.  In the mean time, be on the lookout for someone 'over' you that has something in their life or ministry you would like to emulate.

Happy leading!