A Community Builder analyses how he can mentor others to acquire desired skills, knowledge and values

Have you watched the Super Mario movie?

At the beginning of the movie, when Mario first entered the Mushroom Kingdom, he didn’t know how to jump and dodge obstacles.

Princess Peach taught and trained him for a long time before he was finally ready to meet the Kongs.

She was a community builder who realised that Mario needed to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, and values in order to survive in the Mushroom Kingdom.

We are in the 2nd half of the year.

For the P1s, are you used to life as a primary school student yet?

Are you used to packing your schoolbag, waking up early, and tying your own shoelaces?

Do you know how to get around school without the help of your P4 mentors?

And for the older saints, are you used to the idea of listening to God’s Word and praying the Lord’s prayer right before you start the day?

You may not realise this - but as we listen to God’s word every day,

and as we pray to God before we start the day,

God is teaching us godly skills, knowledge, and values

not just for the day,

but even for the rest of our lives.

In fact, this training for godliness is what gives strength to some of our saints,

whether they are saints like your fathers and grandfathers,

or even P6s who are going through the toughest time in their lives,

to hold onto that promise for the present life and the life to come.

And so our Big idea is: Train yourself for godliness

Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4 to “train yourself for godliness” because “godliness is of value is every way”.

Paul was Timothy’s mentor and teacher.

When Paul went around teaching people about God’s truth, Timothy was one of those who followed Paul and learnt from him.

Paul was very experienced and have learnt a lot from Bible school when he was growing up.

So Timothy was blessed to have a community builder like Paul as a mentor.

But now Paul has left Timothy in Ephesus to look after the church there.

And Timothy was young and not as experienced as Paul.

So he was probably stressed and worried that he couldn’t be as good as Paul.

And perhaps you’re feeling like you know what Timothy is going through.

You’ve learnt a lot of things from awesome teachers and friends in school.

But suddenly, as prelims and WA3 come, you feel nervous and anxious.

Can I make it? What if I don’t do well?

But Paul encourages Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 :

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

In other words, Paul is saying that the way to win the respect of other people is through our kind words,

through our TRUE WISE conduct,

through the way we love and care for others,

through the way we have our hope set on the living God,

and in purity and holiness.

That’s what it means to train ourselves for godliness.

There are many things that you could ever learn in school.

10, 20 years from now, you may not remember them all.

Not that they are not important,

but life will become busier,

and your mind will be full of many things.

But saints, young and old, please do not forget,

to train yourself for godliness,

to listen to God’s Word,

and to pray to Him before you start the day.

And let His Word and His teachings guide your day,

and the rest of your lives.