The Shepherd and His Sheep - Part 34

The Lord is my Shepherd and I am His sheep. That does not mean I am a pet. The Shepherd does not labour hard just for the sake of raising pets, no, we are His business. We are raised for our wool. Our wool is used for His purposes. Yet, the Shepherd loves us, enjoys our companionship, and even became like one of us so that we could understand our purpose. Our purpose is to serve our King Shepherd. Throughout Scripture appointed leaders and kings were called shepherds. It was a metaphor to help describe the relationship between leaders and people.

There is an expectation that all leaders will be good shepherds following the example of the Great Shepherd. The Lord is my Shepherd, I am His sheep. He has appointed me to be a shepherd and I am to pattern my leadership on what the Great Shepherd has taught me. The Light and Truth I follow shine and leave an imprint on how I lead. Integrity – I must be someone others can trust. Perspective – I must spend time on the shoulders of the Great Shepherd so I can see the way. I must not use my position or power to harm or take advantage of others. Goodness and mercy must be the clear trail I leave to help others find their way to the Great Shepherd. As a sheep, I must produce good wool that is fit for the King of Kings to use. I must be prepared to give all I have for the King – even if He asks for my life – it is His anyway. I can trust Him. I am not His pet – I am His business. I am in the service of the King of Kings and He loves me.

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)

By Commissioner Debi Bell