Watch out for the stalker of passive legalism,
However you go about mentoring, especially within the Church, it is paramount to centre our guidance on grace rather than legalism.
Grace is the lifeblood of the gospel—the unearned, unmerited favour of God that transforms hearts and lives. Legalism, on the other hand, suffocates. It traps people in performance, as though the love of God could be earned through adherence to rules: must, should, ought.
When we mentor others, particularly those stepping so carefully on tiptoes in the prophetic ministry, we must ensure our approach is drenched in grace—not as a soft compromise but as the radical truth of the gospel. Legalism is like sin: it is crouching—but so is grace.
The distinction between being Spirit-led and Spirit-driven is vital here. To be Spirit-led is to live fruitfully in step with the Spirit, yielding to His gentle guidance, responding to His whispers and promptings—and, if you slip or deviate, quickly returning and getting back in step with the Spirit. It is relational, dynamic, and liberating.
To be Spirit-driven, however, can subtly veer into striving and look ambitious; we may mistake the urgency of the Spirit for an unrelenting demand to produce results, to always be doing. This shift, though subtle, can (and probably will) lead to burnout and distort the beauty of the Spirit’s work into a checklist of religious performance—sucking the life out of what should be a joy in serving God and each other. Mentoring must guard against this error, fostering a lifestyle of listening and responding rather than pushing and achieving.
Another stalker to watch for is passive legalism, which often hides under the guise of spiritual disciplines or prophetic practices. We might tell someone, “This is how it’s done,” or, “This is the way to hear God,” unintentionally boxing them into methods, formulas, and tick lists. One example is the idea of revelation, proclamation, and application. Whilst useful, it is not something to write in stone—it’s useful, but none of the prophets in Scripture adhere to it.
While structure can be helpful, it is no substitute for the living, breathing relationship with the Spirit. Prophetic ministry, in particular, must remain alive with grace, or it becomes about mechanics rather than love. Mentors must teach the art of listening to God in freedom, where His voice brings life and not condemnation.
The apostle Paul offers a great example of this balance in his letter to the Galatians. In Galatians 3, Paul confronts the church about their drift back into legalism: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3, ESV). Paul’s concern is clear: the Galatians started their journey by grace, relying on the Spirit, but were now attempting to continue it through their own efforts and “stuff” they wanted to add to it. This passage calls us back to the foundation of mentoring—the sufficiency of grace and the necessity of the Spirit’s leading—and clearly warns against the temptation to measure spiritual growth by external markers instead of the fruit of the Spirit.
In practical terms, as mentors, we must reflect this truth in our relationships. When someone stumbles, remind them of grace, pointing them to the Cross rather than their failure. When they succeed, celebrate the Spirit’s work in their lives rather than their performance. Create space for them to encounter God in unique and personal ways, resisting the urge to impose your own methods. Most importantly, respond to the challenge yourself to model what it means to walk by the Spirit in your own life.
Let your mentoring flow from the overflow of your intimacy with God, in serving them and the Church.