Tuesday-Shepherd

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;

1 Peter 5:2

Let’s be clear, even though I never lived in a downtown area, I’m a city guy. I like the excitement and buzz of being with lots of people. Walking the streets of a large city makes my heart beat a little bit faster. Seeing building after building that are filled with people gets my blood going.

Part of being a city guy is that I’m not at all comfortable with country kinds of things. I never walk in bare feet because I know that all those bugs are just waiting to sink their teeth and stingers into me. And then there’s getting dirt on my feet. Who in their right mind wants dirty feet?

But, because it’s me, it gets worse. For example, Mary Ann once invited me to take a walk with her through the woods. I just stared at her and said, “Are you kidding? That would get the bottom of my shoes dirty.”

When I read about shepherds, they are people that I really don’t understand. Why would they choose that job? After all, to be a good shepherd, they’d have to be out in the countryside all day long with smelly, dirty, and dumb sheep. And I bet cell phone reception was poor to boot.

And yet, even though the shepherds that take care of sheep seem strange to me, I have been on the receiving side of shepherds all my life. Thinking back, there have been many, many people who have taken care of me. Watched over me. Guided me to good and wholesome thinking. Kept me away from harm and evil.

That’s the kind of shepherds that Peter’s talking about here. Each of these spiritual shepherds has a flock under their care. They are watching out over them. Carefully making sure that they have plenty of good spiritual nourishment and encouragement. Keeping them far away from evil and harm.

One of the clear signs that a shepherd is doing a good job has everything to do with their attitude. Are they doing all the things a shepherd does just because it’s on their daily checklist of things? Just so they can get their paycheck and forget about the sheep? If that’s their attitude, then they won’t really be taking care of their sheep.

But, if they’re willingly doing everything for the good of the sheep, then that’s something everything’s going to see. They will shepherd from deep within their soul. The good of their sheep will always be in their hearts and minds. And they’ll jump at the chance to do anything that will help the sheep. Make them stronger.

A willing shepherd is always ready to serve. It’s always front and center in their thinking and who they are. They will choose to help their sheep. Doing anything and everything for their sheep will come from deep within their soul. We see this from Peter’s two strong commands about shepherds.

• Not pursuing dishonest gain. There’s nothing worse than a shepherd that uses their sheep just to fill their pockets. Whose main reason for being a shepherd is for cheating their sheep. They’re always looking for new ways to get richer at the expense of their sheep.

• Eager to serve. When these kinds of shepherds wake up in the morning, their first thoughts are about how to help their sheep. They are always looking for better ways to be a better shepherd. You can’t keep a willing shepherd from doing everything they can to help their sheep.

These two commands couldn’t be further from one another. One is evil while the other is good. One is selfish and the other is generous. One is grabbing while the other is giving. One is self-important while the other is self-denying.

Unfortunately, we’ve all known or read about selfish shepherds. We can’t avoid knowing about them. I’m not blaming the media, but there is this excitement and fascination with shepherds that have fallen. Whether it’s lining their pockets with money taken from their sheep or a moral failure. They are a stain on the God’s name and reputation.

But we also know good shepherds that have been an encouragement to their sheep and communities. For many years, they have been a light in a dark place. They show loving compassion to those who are hurting. And, they offer strong and wise advice to those who need to change.

When was the last time you called up someone who was a good shepherd and encouraged them? Or you sent them a short and personal note to let them know that God was very pleased with them?

It may not shock you to know that the shepherds around us need encouragement. That they sometimes get tired and discouraged. That there are moments when they question their call as a shepherd. That they just want to pack it in and go home. This is where our job as sheep is to come close and let them receive warmth from us. To personally speak quietly to them, letting them know just how we appreciate them. How they have made all the difference in the world to them. It’s time for us to thank God for the Good Shepherd that he is, and for giving us good shepherds in this life.

Noodling Questions

• How attractive is the idea of being a shepherd to you? Explain.

• List three good shepherds that have had a significant impact on your life.

• How can you encourage and support the good shepherds in your life today?