Living Examples

CORE PRACTICE #21: Seek out an older couple who can model a strong marriage and family life.

Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. . . . These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. —Titus 2:2-5

Lauren

Tony and I discovered early on that we needed to find a married couple whom we could trust, watch, and lean on for help as we began our life together. We both had the Christlike examples of our parents, who were always available for us. But we knew we also needed a Christian couple outside of our family who could bring a different perspective to our lives and marriage.

Mike and Barb Cephas, we were to find out, were that perfect couple for us. They were a deacon and deaconess at our church, Bethany Baptist in Pittsburgh. When we met them, they were raising their five children. Both Mike and Barb had strong biblical knowledge gained through years of study. They also allowed us to see the everyday side of their lives within a strong, growing family.

Mike and Barb not only were always available to counsel us, but they provided an incredible role model for Tony and me in our respective roles as husband and wife, and later as parents. Their input and time helped us grow in our faith, and often they were just the examples we needed to make the best decisions for our marriage and family. Just like in Titus 2, where the apostle Paul challenged older men and women to serve as godly examples, Mike and Barb showed us how to “live wisely” and honor each other.

Of course, the classic example of a mentor is Paul himself. He was a role model to young Timothy and others with whom he spent time. But as we can see from his thirteen letters in the New Testament, written to various groups of believers, he considered himself to be a mentor to everyone who would listen to him. He always desired to share with others about the life that Christ wanted him to live.

Like Mike and Barb Cephas, we have a wealth of life experiences that open a door for us to speak into the lives of others. It’s not just pastors, teachers, or coaches who can become mentors. We can serve as examples and sounding boards with our spouses, children, friends, and coworkers.

We may even become lifelong friends with those we mentor, as the Cephases have been to us. When we met Mike and Barb, they were the ones with the big family. We didn’t have children yet, and we loved going to their house to enjoy their kids. These days they are empty nesters, and with our large family, all the energy is in our house. They miss that high-energy family atmosphere, so they love coming to Tampa to visit us!

Adventure Application: Do you know a godly older couple to whom you can look for mentoring, wisdom, and guidance? Be sure to spend time with them. If you don’t have such a couple in your life, try to identify one who could serve in that role. Take the first step to get to know them better this week.