Shepherds or Leaders?

This came to me as a “download” as I slept on the night of December 13, 2017. Barney Barnes, Warrior Spirit Ministries, 12-15-17, additional Content Carl Huhn 2-20-22

“Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds”

Proverbs 27:23

The Bible uses the illustration of the shepherd in the Old Testament and it frequently refers to kings as shepherds for their people. In Ezekiel 34, the Sovereign Lord exclaims that He Himself will provide life for His flock because of poor earthly shepherds: He will take care of, strengthen, heal the sick, bound the injured, and seek the strays and lost. Healthy sheep produce healthy sheep which calls for the stewardship and the watchful eye of the shepherd.

David the Shepherd King penned the well-loved Psalm 23 where he emphasized finding and leading to green pastures, to graze on and lie down on, are paramount maxims in the heart of the shepherd and critical for the vitality of the flock. He leads his flock and reader from the home base, through the valley of the shadows, to the pristine highlands, all the while leading with the crook, feeding in scouted out safe fields, and with his rod protecting his flock.

Protection from the wolf: The wolf is a predator by nature (1 Peter 5:8) always looking for weak or wandering sheep. The wolf operates with cunning and without conscience just the same as the Devil himself. Therefore, the shepherd must be vigilant (watchful) and committed to the life and protection of the sheep, above and beyond his own safety and convenience.

As Jesus explains in John 10, true shepherds are leaders…but a “leader” is not necessarily a “shepherd”. Sheep really do need a shepherd who leads, feeds, and protects the flock, not a hireling who believes the flock is there for him to secure a paycheck. In the church we often confuse the two concepts of shepherding and leading and this is normally a result of “cultural” influences. The culture emphasizes leadership but seldom mentions “shepherding.” Thus Christlikeness, The Great Shepherd---the Good Shepherd, is minimized in our midst and “obtaining objectives” gains priority over “building loving relationships”.

Jesus spent three years shepherding the apostles, He led, fed, and protected them. There were three he took special care of and one whom he loved dearly. Jesus poured into His apostles so they could shepherd the greater flock and when Satan wanted to sift one of the three as wheat, Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. Some would say with the third denial he did fail, but the Good Shepherd brought the wandering sheep back when is asked, “Peter, do you love me?” Would the leaders in business today be willing to invest enough in knowing the condition of their flock and see the potential in the worker who may be wandering? Would you?