Today I want to take a break from Corona virus and the demonstrations. Instead, I want to look back on the lessons I learned during my 17 years as a corporate trainer. It may sound strange that a teacher learned lessons from his students, but there are life lessons in everything we do when we are receptive to them. I think what some saw in me as patience was actually my ability to see the potential in a person and help them see that potential themselves; then use it to achieve personal success.
I trained several hundred new employees over my years in that position. I was a teacher of facts and techniques, but I also saw myself as a mentor. A few trainees came to me with over inflated egos that I had to take down a notch or two until I had their full attention. Most of them, however, had varying degrees of low confidence and self-esteem. Those humble souls were the ones most receptive to encouragement and training. I have kept in touch with a large number of them. Many still work for that company in various positions. Some of them have started new careers in other fields. One holds a prominent position with a national pest control company in Tennessee. Eight or nine of them have started their own companies and are doing quite well. I couldn’t be prouder of all of them. It’s flattering when one of them tries to credit me for their success, but I quickly set them straight. I simply recognized their potential, gave them some tools and pointed them in the right direction. They did the hard work and heavy lifting that led to their success. One of my former trainees has become a good friend. He had a problem with classroom training and multiple choice exams. Once he started the hands on part of the training, he quickly got a solid grasp of the material; but he still had to pass my quizzes and the State of Illinois certification exam, which is a tricky and difficult test. He knew he would freeze up and not be able to pass. I got him to concentrate on one question at a time and treat it like a game; looking for key words or phrases and choosing the best answer, not the first one he came to that looked correct. His competitive nature overcame his fear and when it worked on my quizzes, his confidence increased dramatically and he passed the state exam on his first try. He soon became a department supervisor.
Why am I sharing all of this with you? New Christians need the encouragement and guidance of a mentor. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping someone be their best. They need to learn the best way for them to understand and apply the Bible to their daily life. They need to learn how to pray to their Heavenly Father with praise, thanksgiving and their petitions following the example Jesus gives us; always taking time to wait for His response. They need to learn how to recognize and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit who now resides within them. The good news is that God knows their potential and the Holy Spirit will show them. So all we need to do is give them some tools and point them in the right direction. They will develop their personal relationship with God. God loves all of His children the same, but because He created us as unique individuals, our personal relationship with Him will be somewhat unique as well. Tools to help them can be found at Bible.com or a similar resource, where they can find the translation that is best suited for them and find a plan to take them through the entire Bible in a year or cover a particular topic of need or interest. As a mentor we simply need to be there to answer questions and continue to encourage them. God will do the rest.