Enhanced performance is a great need today.
As mentioned in my first article on this topic performance review and appraisal is a part of daily life. Whether in schools, even from the age of kindergarten or in the advanced stages of career it is continually measured and assessed.
Mentoring and having mentors are vital for enhanced performance as they invest in our lives, but why does God insist on having spiritual parents also. The apostle Paul alluded to the difference and value in 1 Corinthians Chapter 4 Verse 4.
What are the qualities of spiritual parents that enable Radical Performance Enhancement and how does it differ from mentoring generally?
Firstly, I would define radical or remarkable performance improvement as arriving at an unprecedented level of success, influence and significance in life that leaves a powerful legacy and establishes God’s kingdom dominion, trends and reform in an area in society.
Here are 5 things that enable radical performance enhancement through divinely appointed spiritual mums and dads, as compared to mentoring alone:
- Human mentors, give out and love on their mentees to a measure. And there is a special bond that empowers development and performance.
But, spiritual parents like natural parents stop at nothing to see their spiritual offspring empowered and cared for. There is a wonderful sense of belonging and love that feeds the deepest needs of the growing son or daughter and establishes their maturity in Christ, our ultimate spiritual parent. (See 1 Thessalonians Chapter 2 Verses 7 - 12)
- Human mentors share what they know but, sometimes mainly as concept they are coming to terms with.
Spiritual parents understand and can model the faith, and especially the character of God in a way that is compelling, especially due to their authenticity. (See 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 Verses 1- 6)
- Human mentors are very helpful, but can hold back and become insecure and competitive to give their all, especially if their mentee performs better than themselves.
However, spiritual parents are not afraid to release their God-appointed mantle and office, seeing the importance of successors and succession for the Lord. Like a good parent in the natural, they long to see the next generation do greater things than themselves. (See 1 Kings Chapter 19 Verse 19)
- Mentors can give great counsel and provide a good, if not a great example in modelling performance and its enhancement.
But, spiritual fathers model and impart a spirit of legacy and excellence just as an adult is superior to an adolescent in their capacity and maturity. Spiritual adolescence are compelled to follow their spirit parent to learn and receive an impartation, as compared to following a peer.
Elisha followed and asked for a double portion of the anointing. (See 2 Kings Chapter 2 Verses 1-10)
- Human mentors teach what they know and are also learning themselves.
However, spiritual parents don’t just teach, but are enabled by God to train and equip in powerfully out of experience and anointing, but also reproduce after their own kind. (2 Kings Chapter 2 Verse 13 - 15)
God can provide a spiritual parent for you? Seek God for them and they will show up and knit their hearts with you in a gentle and uncontrived, all in God’s time.
Elisha simply did what he did, all for Jesus and one day Elijah showed up with a direct commission from heaven to raise him up as a son in the faith. Elijah made himself available and even burned his oxen, which was his work gear, to be able to go! We need to be ready to follow Jesus. As we step out in faith and He reveals His goodness of the father, we are made ready.
This week I went to a meeting and my spiritual daughter came along. On this occasion she asked if I could be in a picture with her and other pastor, and then posted it on the internet proudly declaring myself as her spiritual father on social media. I felt proud to see it; even awesome!
She came to my church about eight years before. Through thick and thin I have stood by her and watched her get married, raise her family, grow into a preacher and now an author, and she has seen many sisters come to Christ, which she mentors and parents.
When I first met her, I could connect as she shared her dreams and I could readily believe in her and felt it my mission to help her get there. God did something to knit our hearts and her husband, my spiritual son. (Malachi Chapter 4 Verse 6).
As a television producer I believe she will one day, and not too far off, rock our nation with a new breed of material she is developing. It’s nothing short of radical performance enhancement which largely comes about because spiritual sons and daughters ride on the back of their parents and grow to excel. That’s God’s normal way of performance enhancement, which many spectators call radical.
Take Heart, God wants to send a spiritual father or mother your way and he will knit your hearts; here is God’s promise to claim in prayer:
5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
Bless you all.
Mark Rusic was born in Melbourne and has a bachelor in Mechanical engineering. He became a missionary to Indigenous Madurese of Indonesia for about four years. He has worked as a pastor over the past 17 years with Hope International Ministries. Mark is also an artist and author and has also written two books which are a collection of his own paintings, photography and poetry. These include ‘Iconic Melbourne of Australia’ and ‘Iconic Animals of Australia with a voice to release your giant potential within.’ He has been counted among some of Australia’s best-selling authors since 2014 and is a frequent public speaker in various community groups and churches, with a special grace to bless indigenous peoples and impart hope to all. His passion is to help people find and release what they are born for. Mark is happily married with his wife Susan and has three young children.
Mark Rusic was born in Melbourne and has a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. He became a missionary to many, suffering hardship and poverty on Madura Island in Indonesia, in 1990 for about four years. He worked as a pastor-life coach with Hope International Ministries from 2002 to May 2023, playing a key role in raising up leaders and elders for the local Melbourne Hope church, which lead today. Mark has also been active in conducting yearly trips to remote Indigenous communities, bringing teams for training and outreach, which he initiated from 2015. He also established a salt and light ministry to empower saints of influence in the marketplace from 2017.
Mark is also an artist and an author and has written two books which are both a collection of his own paintings, photography, and poetry. These include ‘Iconic Melbourne of Australia’ and ‘Iconic Animals of Australia- With a voice to release your giant potential within,’ which are available now on booktopia.com.au and at leading book retailers. He has been counted among some of Australia’s best authors on several occasions through Dymocks since 2014 and continues to be a motivational speaker in various community groups, organisations, and churches.
He is currently pioneering his itinerant ministry to bless Indigenous people and empower the body of Christ, while working as an artist, author and speaker.
