I recently had a mentor of mine give me a call. In the call, he lovingly scolded me for not “expanding my leadership” and seeing “God to be too small.” He reminded me that every time he has offered me an opportunity for personal growth, I have made some excuse as to why I couldn’t be a part of what he was offering. Do you know what? He is right. Instead of telling me what I wanted to hear, he told me what I needed to hear. That is called shepherding.
I had a youth leader of mine, many years ago, tell me something that was hard to hear. After a difficult night of outreach ministry, I was frustrated with the kids and how the leaders handled the kids. In a moment of discouragement, I vented to him. What I did not expect next happened. Instead of coddling me, he challenged me. Instead of agreeing with me, he disagreed with me. He looked at me square in the face and told me that “I was the problem!” Wow! At first, I was infuriated. As I simmered down, I realized he was right. That dear friend would meet with me for breakfast once a month, and he would pour his life into me. That is called shepherding.
A major responsibility of a shepherd is to protect his sheep. He can discern danger soon, so he does whatever it takes to keep his sheep away from it. In the 1st century, a shepherd was literally the “gate” to where his sheep slept. He would lay at the entrance of the pen, and if a wild animal or robber tried to get in, they had to climb over his body to get to the sheep. Whether it was a mountain lion, bear, or wolves, he was committed to the protection of his sheep, even if it might possibly cost him his life. Jesus is that good shepherd protecting his sheep.
"To get a clear picture of Jesus’ meaning in this statement, it is helpful to understand a little of that ancient culture, especially of sheep and shepherding. Of all domesticated animals, sheep are the most helpless. Sheep will spend their entire day grazing, wandering from place to place, never looking up. As a result, they often become lost. But sheep have no “homing instinct” as other animals do. They are totally incapable of finding their way to their sheepfold even when it is in plain sight. By nature, sheep are followers. If the lead sheep steps off a cliff, the others will follow." https://www.gotquestions.org/I-am-the-door.html
As Jesus used the very relatable example of sheep, he demonstrated how much he cares for his people. The culture in which we live is looking to “steal your soul!” In Jesus’ powerful words, he described the “thief” as the one who has come to “steal, kill, and destroy!” That is Satan! That is the godless culture in which we live! Just look around. We kill babies and call that a human prerogative. That is our flesh! You are prone to sin, without the power of the Holy Spirit “shepherding” your direction! On the contrary, Jesus has come to give you “abundant life!”
What is abundant life? Well, I can tell you what it is not. It is not health, wealth, and prosperity. Those things are temporal. It is peace, joy, and especially purpose. It is God using your life to impact a soul for eternity! It is God teaching you about his goodness and grace. It is living without feeling you’re in the middle of a prison cell filled with guilt from your past. It is a life that is simple, yet supernaturally charged. It is knowing that no matter who occupies the white house, the Lord Jesus Christ is on the throne, and he is sovereign over all! Praise the Lord for his tender care in our lives!
I had a youth leader of mine, many years ago, tell me something that was hard to hear. After a difficult night of outreach ministry, I was frustrated with the kids and how the leaders handled the kids. In a moment of discouragement, I vented to him. What I did not expect next happened. Instead of coddling me, he challenged me. Instead of agreeing with me, he disagreed with me. He looked at me square in the face and told me that “I was the problem!” Wow! At first, I was infuriated. As I simmered down, I realized he was right. That dear friend would meet with me for breakfast once a month, and he would pour his life into me. That is called shepherding.
A major responsibility of a shepherd is to protect his sheep. He can discern danger soon, so he does whatever it takes to keep his sheep away from it. In the 1st century, a shepherd was literally the “gate” to where his sheep slept. He would lay at the entrance of the pen, and if a wild animal or robber tried to get in, they had to climb over his body to get to the sheep. Whether it was a mountain lion, bear, or wolves, he was committed to the protection of his sheep, even if it might possibly cost him his life. Jesus is that good shepherd protecting his sheep.
"To get a clear picture of Jesus’ meaning in this statement, it is helpful to understand a little of that ancient culture, especially of sheep and shepherding. Of all domesticated animals, sheep are the most helpless. Sheep will spend their entire day grazing, wandering from place to place, never looking up. As a result, they often become lost. But sheep have no “homing instinct” as other animals do. They are totally incapable of finding their way to their sheepfold even when it is in plain sight. By nature, sheep are followers. If the lead sheep steps off a cliff, the others will follow." https://www.gotquestions.org/I-am-the-door.html
As Jesus used the very relatable example of sheep, he demonstrated how much he cares for his people. The culture in which we live is looking to “steal your soul!” In Jesus’ powerful words, he described the “thief” as the one who has come to “steal, kill, and destroy!” That is Satan! That is the godless culture in which we live! Just look around. We kill babies and call that a human prerogative. That is our flesh! You are prone to sin, without the power of the Holy Spirit “shepherding” your direction! On the contrary, Jesus has come to give you “abundant life!”
What is abundant life? Well, I can tell you what it is not. It is not health, wealth, and prosperity. Those things are temporal. It is peace, joy, and especially purpose. It is God using your life to impact a soul for eternity! It is God teaching you about his goodness and grace. It is living without feeling you’re in the middle of a prison cell filled with guilt from your past. It is a life that is simple, yet supernaturally charged. It is knowing that no matter who occupies the white house, the Lord Jesus Christ is on the throne, and he is sovereign over all! Praise the Lord for his tender care in our lives!