It's tough enough being a leader in the church, given the high expectations folks have for you, but it's twice as hard if you try to do it without solid outside care and support. Guidance is a wonderful and gracious word, full of empathy and unselfish attention, and we all need some of it! A mentor, coach, or seeing-eye friend can transform a difficult experience into an exhilarating and positive adventure. Conversely, going it alone can spell unintended disaster!

Here are three reasons why acquiring a strong mentor might be the best decision you ever make. Only extreme narcissism (not pretty!) would cause someone to go it alone.

Objectivity

We all believe at some level that we know ourselves pretty well–that we are aware of all our little quirks and mannerisms. It just ain't so! Borrowing from 1 Corinthians 13, we tend to know ourselves as "through a glass, darkly" at best. If we believe we are objective about our own stuff, we may be ignorantly defeating the potential for real change and ...

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