Community – Be Thankful for Your Shepherd by Andy Stephenson
Community – Be Thankful for Your Shepherd
When you analyze shepherding in the traditional sense, you realize it was a pretty thankless job. The sheep were always in need of protection, food, water and direction and the shepherd was responsible for providing those necessities. The life of a shepherd wasn’t easy; often the nights were cold and lonely and the days were long and hard. The sheep took what food and care the shepherd offered, but gave nothing back in return. The days were probably quiet and solitary, and the shepherds often listened to the sheep bleating when they were in need or were complaining. The assistants to the head shepherd probably thought they could do a better job if they were in his place. Being the head shepherd had its difficulties!
Youth pastors, our local ministry shepherd is our senior pastor, and often times their role as a spiritual shepherd to the flock is in some ways parallel to the traditional shepherd. It is often a lonely and thankless position. As assistants, we often think we would do things differently if we were in their position. I challenge us to be careful with that thinking. Until we have been in the position of “shepherd” and walked in their shoes, we cannot take into account the numerous factors involved in their decisions. Many believe they can be good leadership “consultants,” but it is sometimes hard to find those who can truly live out good leadership. Trust me, a new perspective comes when you actually step into someone else’s shoes.
My encouragement to us as youth pastors is three fold:
- Write an encouraging note or letter thanking your senior pastor for allowing you to work with him or her.
- Find ways to support and encourage your senior pastor in daily ministry rather than focusing on what he/she isn’t doing right. (You will be amazed at how their support of you will change if you start lifting them up).
- Pray for your shepherd daily and ask him/her for specific requests.
- Be loyal. If you have an issue with your pastor, talk to him/her. If you still have a disagreement, live with the decision and be quiet. If you can’t live with it, leave quietly.
Let us become sheep that bleat encouragement – Ephesians 4:2-4
