1 John 1 & 2
The assumed author of the epistles named John was the same fishermen that Jesus called to be one of his disciples. The calling came during the mundane task of mending the fishing nets and Jesus asked John to leave them behind and follow him. Several decades after receiving that call including three years training with Jesus, John finds himself penning these letters of encouragement and instruction that were circulated among the churches. He has had plenty of life experiences to mentor others in the faith. As a mentor, notice how John interacts with his fellow believers (including us!):
- He fondly calls them his children
- Because John experienced the unconditional love of Jesus firsthand, calling himself “The disciple that Jesus loved”, he readily shares that love with others.
- He lovingly encourages them to stay away from sin.
- Knowing that not sinning was a tall task, he encourages them to confess any sin.
- He reminds his fellow believers that Jesus came to remove our sins and that He speaks to the father on our behalf.
- Love God & love one another, but do not love the world or the things in this world
- He encourages them to always look for the truth and not to be swayed by false teachings and misguided beliefs
Author Watchman Nee made this observation that when John was called he was a fishermen and was mending nets, perhaps he carried over this skill into seeking the lost and mending the nets of broken lives. Using John’s approach we can step into his script and mentor others with these words of truth about the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Today mentor someone and help them mend their nets by speaking the truth of God’s love and forgiveness into their lives.