A few years ago during a meeting with a Chinese missionary, I mentioned that I was married to my Prince Charming. The missionary asked if I referred to him in that way because he rescued me.

I guess I had a look of confusion on my face.

“Absolutely not!”, I exclaimed.

It was at that moment I realized that we, as a people, are not in the business of “rescue”. It is not our responsibility to tell people where they are supposed to go or what they’re supposed to do.

I found confirmation of this in the Word of God. Every single one of us was created with an Ephesians 2:10 purpose from God instilled within them.

(“For we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”)

Only we (and God) know what that purpose is.

What a true Prince Charming does; (or what mine did), was believe in that purpose. Sometimes, actually most times, they are the only ones who do. Prince Charming supports you and your dreams. He believes in you more than you believe in yourself.

This is the same type of relationship that is forged between a Mentor and a Mentee. A Mentor can encourage and truly believe in their Mentee. They can be their biggest cheerleader and help to pull out from within them the truth of the calling sometimes buried deep within all the chaos and the rubble.

Equipping is Key

Unfortunately, in society today we have too many people with the rescue mentality. They think they know what is best for everyone else. So they go around telling people what to do and how to do it. They detrimentally lead with a spirit of judgment instead of encouragement. As destructive of a tendency as this is, it is most often done unintentionally. Hear me clearly here – there are a lot of well-meaning people that truly just want to help. They are only responding in the only way they know.

This is why it is so important  to educate people about the difference between “rescue and “restoration”.  Rescue makes the relationship all about me. Restoration is believing in someone enough to help them uncover and pursue their God-given personal goals and purpose. Whether you are a student in a foreign country, a victim of child abuse or human trafficking,  or experiencing the same everyday trauma many of us have overcome, your purpose dreams and goals

are

your

own.

Above all, the purpose of a mentor, teacher and/or leader is to do everything within their capacity to lead you into discovering what that means for your life, not theirs.

So, if you are still searching for your Prince Charming, pay attention to their motivation and conversation. The deciding factor shouldn’t be “You complete me”, rather, “you believe in me enough to help me believe in myself and pursue my dreams and goals!”

Surround yourself with people that allow you to see the best in yourself, figure out how to set goals to achieve your destiny and  inspire you to want to do the same for others!!!