Your destiny is not tied to your mentors.

A crutch is a temporary tool we use for walking following an injury to a leg or foot. Once the injury is healed, we put the crutch away and walk on our own. The word crutch is also used to describe something or someone we may rely on short-term to help us get through a period of challenge. The term takes on a bad connotation, though, when used to describe something that we’ve become unnecessarily dependent upon, usually to the detriment of our physical, mental, or emotional progress.

A crutch is supposed to be temporary, just until we heal, or until we can get by on our own. It’s not supposed to be permanent, even when our crutch is someone important to us. One of the hardest things to accept is that not everyone is meant to be in our lives forever. Some people are meant to be with you for the long-term, of course—your spouse, your children, your siblings, your parents, and your closest friends. But then there are those God brings across your path for a season, maybe a mentor, a teacher, or a guide of some sort to help you through a certain stage of life or a difficult time.

If God didn’t move them away, we would become too dependent. Instead of helping us, they would hinder us. Their presence might limit our growth.


Just as God supernaturally brings people into our lives, He will supernaturally move some out.


You have to be big enough to recognize when someone’s part in your life story is over. It doesn’t mean the person is bad. You still can be friends. You still can love and respect each other. But you must accept that everything changes. To move forward, you have to let go.

Just as God supernaturally brings people into our lives, He will supernaturally move some out. When a person walks away and you think you can’t live without them, that’s God saying, “It’s time for you to go to a new level.”

You don’t need someone to constantly think for you, drive you, believe in you, and encourage you. You can do that for yourself. If you are to keep growing, eliminate your dependency on crutches.
Don’t try to talk people into loving you. Don’t try to persuade them to stay beyond their usefulness. Let them go.

Your destiny is not tied to your mentor’s. His or her leaving will launch you ahead. It’s not a step back, it’s a step up. When someone walks away, it’s not an accident. God will open new doors. You will discover greater strength and new talents. God may be preparing to bring in someone even better for the future.