The Bulletproof Leader: Overcome FailureSample

Find a Mentor

I want to share with you the remarkable, true story of Amber Williams, a friend of mine whose courage and determination to persevere inspires me. Born with cerebral palsy, her childhood was one of frustration and hardship. The constant barrage of verbal and physical abuse from classmates made herquestion whether life was worth living. She battled suicidal thoughts, depression, and the urge to run away to a different life. But she consciously decided to have a meaningful, blessed life. Against all odds, she graduated high school, married, and became the mother of two children. She contributed to her community by teaching a Sunday School class and eventually obtained full-time employment working with the homeless. Refusing to quit or run away from life, she persevered and reached her goals.

Even though it is tempting to run from overwhelming situations, the truth is that those situations tend to follow us wherever we may go to try to hide. When we are in dark seasons and feel like fleeing, one of the best things we can do is reach out to a mentor who will fight for our future and cheer us on when we want to quit.

Although there are well-known leaders who stand out in the New Testament, a lesser-known leader, Barnabas, played a critical role in moving the church forward as a mentor to Paul. The name Barnabas means “encourager,” and he lived up to that legacy. Since Paul was known for killing Christians, believers of that day had good reason to be skeptical of Paul when he wanted to become one himself. But Barnabas went against the tide of culture and was willing to gamble on how God might use Paul (Acts 9: 26–28). Barnabas gave Saul a chance when other leaders reached for stones. That’s what leadership does: It takes risks on exiled, isolated individuals. And it is risk takers like Barnabas who cultivate courageous leaders like Paul. Maybe that is one reason Jesus encouraged us to “do to others as you would like them to do to you” (Luke 6:31 NLT). It is our responsibility to give out grace in the same measure that we wish to receive it.