Google Has Replaced Mentors

It used to be…

I know, I know I sound like one of those "Well, in my day....." like I don't have a day now.  

Mentors used to be someone I would go to when I had a question about anything, and I had a lot of questions.   I would go to someone wiser, well I thought was wiser and ask them.  Some of their answers were out there and some were on the money.  I learned how to decipher their stories and glean some sort of wisdom. (sounds a lot like Google)  

For instance, when I was a young teen I went to my volunteer youth leader and said "I feel like God is calling me into ministry, to be a speaker." My Google search would have been a series of "God calling, Women in Ministry, and hearing God's voice." What I got from this guy was  "Girls don't do that, let me introduce you to my son."  

What?! I stopped going to church after that and took a while to convince me to come back. 

Another time I asked a grandmother type about guys and she had  great advice and it proved to be very valuable. Who knows what I would have googled for that.

"Don't date a guy you wouldn't marry, love can be blind." 

Today, instead of going to people, I can get the same thing just faster from Google.  All I have to do is type in my question and wha-la instant answer.  I don't have to interrupt people in their busy schedule. I don't have to make time to sit down with them. I don't have to listen to them carry on and on and on and on.  I don't have to worry about what they think of me when I ask.  

I can google my question and even get blogs that will have a constant flow of mentoring whenever and wherever I need it.  I can get book recommendations, podcast, even videos from them and really do it myself.  Hmmm mentor myself, that just sounds wrong!

So what about women's ministry?  Are we to concede to Google?  Are we to allow unknown people speak into our daughters lives?  Are we to let Google mentor the next generation? What about that Titus verse "older women must train up the younger.." is Google to do that for us?

First of all, do WE use Google as a mentor?

Who do we go to if we go to anyone at all? What is it about her that get us to take the time to build a relationship and schedule time with them, just to get questions answered? If we want the younger women to come to us shouldn't we be modeling that behavior? If we want to foster inter-generational relationships it has to start with us.  Who is  your mentor? Google or Sister Got the Goods? 

What about us, will the younger generation pick Google over us?

I know we don't have the answers like Google.  But we can see that Google has some qualities that we can develop.  

Google is humble.  Google doesn't judge people by their searches and totally respects their privacy. Let's not judge them period.  In fact, Google is perfectly aligned with it's users.  They want answers and Google wants to give it to them.  

Google's core value is relevance.  Google doesn't give them what Google thinks they should know.  Google listens to their search query and tries to give them the best locations for that answer.  Listen to the younger generation, and answer the questions they are asking! 

Google doesn't have the answer but knows where to get it.  Google itself isn't smart, the places Google searches are.  Where do we go to get answers?  The best way to know God's word is to apply it.  

Google is accessible, anytime and anywhere. The next generation, growing up on Google, the same ones that cut their teeth on your phone, "wait" is a four letter word.  What does that mean to a mentor? Be accessible and train others in your generation to be accessible too. 

What makes you different than Google? What would make them pick you over Google?

The human connection. 

 Google can't hug them when they are hurting.  Google doesn't know how to listen to the run on sentence and decipher it as "I need a friend." Google doesn't invite them to dinner.  Google doesn't give them a tissue when they cry.  Google won't text them an encouragement right before they go out on the field or court.  Google won't tell them "I believe in you, I have faith."  Google won't  drive them to their first job interview.  Google doesn't help them get up when they fail. Google doesn't throw bridal showers and wrap baby gifts.  Google doesn't open it's door and say "come on in, we just put the burgers on the grill."

 This was about Google, the new search engine is YouTube.  Are we ready for THAT!? 

What else Google can't do but you can?  leave a comment