One of my great joys in life is to collaborate with another like-minded Christian man or woman in the great cause of Jesus. In fact, amongst my three core values after the gospel as my number one value, my next is collaboration!
I was recently reminded of the strong partnership or collaboration theme in Philippians. Paul starts his letter to the Philippians by pointing out to them (1:1) that they had a shared identity as saints in Jesus Christ, equally needy recipients of his grace and peace (1:2, 7). I like to think of those things as a partnership of identity or shared experience in ‘being’, but Paul goes on to talk about a shared partnership in ‘doing’: a ‘partnership in the gospel’ (1:5).
One of the things I love about mentoring is that, at the best of times, as a Christian mentor, I enjoy this very kind of ‘Philippian’ partnership with my mentorees. Like Paul’s beloved friends in Philippi, we have a shared identity of being, and doing. As saints in Christ and co-beneficiaries of grace and peace, we also partner with our clients in God’s gospel work in their own life and also through them in the lives of others. Just like Paul says in Philippians this is a huge joy (1:4) and gives me the energy to continue this ministry in both its easier and harder seasons. The ultimate goal of it all is abounding love and righteousness in my mentorees’ lives, and the glory and praise of God (1:9-11).