Who You Spend Time with is Who You Become

One benefit I am receiving from interning with Church Assistance Ministry (CAM) is that I get to spend time with men who are older, more mature, and more experienced that I am. That is a benefit to be because who I spend time with today determines who I will become tomorrow.

As an intern with CAM I get to spend time weekly with Steve Elliott, a man who has been in ministry for almost 40 years.  I also get to spend time quarterly with other staff and board members of CAM who have been working in ministry for a long time.

There are three things I am benefiting from as a younger man spending time with these older men:

1. They give me examples of what to do: Their examples, stories, and lives show me how to effectively serve others and manage a family.  This ensures that I do the right things with my time going forward to help me become more successful.
2. They give me examples of what not to do: They have many stories of how they have failed and been unsuccessful which gives me a clear picture of what not to do.  This allows me to avoid failures in my future and serve more people without having to experience the lessons they have had to experience.
3. They give me examples of good habits to develop and maintain:  You definitely reap what you sow.  When spending time with these men I am able to see what habits they have maintained over their lives and how that has affected them long-term.  This gives me a better perspective to choose the habits I cultivate and maintain going forward in ministry.

As a result of spending time with these men who are older, more mature, and more experienced than I am, I will grow into a man who has gleaned years of examples of godly lives lived and be able to incorporate these into my own life in order to do great work. 

If you are a young leader (like I am) I suggest you find some men who are older and more experienced than you are and spend time with them. Who you spend time with today determines who you will become tomorrow.

Question: Who in your life who is older than you has had a positive impact on your life? (Feel free to share stories.)