Face To Face

I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. —2 John 12

I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. —3 John 14

Social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and email make it easy to for people to stay “in touch” over great distances.  But nothing will ever replace “face-to-face” communication and mentoring. As we read in Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

Do you realize that Moses was personally mentored by God Himself in a “face-to-face” relationship?  Exodus 33:11 says, “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” (see also Dt.  34:10).

Moses, in turn, took Joshua and mentored him (Ex. 24:13).  Elijah mentored Elisha (1 Kings 19:19-21).  Jesus “ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach” (Mk 3:14). Paul took Timothy with him on his missionary journey to personally mentor him as his “son in the faith” (Acts 16:1-3; 1 Tim. 1:2).

These and other examples show the importance of meeting face-to-face in a variety of settings so that we can sharpen one another spiritually. I do not believe you can adequately mentor another from a distance. It must be “face-to-face.”

Who are you mentoring for Christ “face to face?”