SCRIPTURE: And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. – (Genesis 33:13 KJV)
QUOTE: “A good shepherd is not afraid of the storm for himself, but for the herd!” – Mehmet Murat ildan
NOTE:
A good leader like a shepherd must always know that state of his/her flock to avoid over driving them and thus hurting the sheep or followers. That is why Jesus, though the lion of the tribe of Judah, is the lamb of God. Gentle and caring, with enormous concern for His followers. That is why prophet Ezekiel declared vehemently; ‘What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their flocks?’’ (Ezekiel 34:2). A true leader like a good shepherd lives and leads with the burden of his/her followers.
ILLUSTRATION:
Jesus traversed different cities with a large crowd following him. He looked and had compassion on them. The apostles suggested that the crowd be sent away to go sort out their food issue and Jesus could see the lack of a shepherd leader in them. He replied that the disciples should fix the problem and stop thinking of themselves alone, because a leader cannot be thinking of himself while his followers wander (Mark 6:34-38). When the apostles had a paradigm shift, they had more than enough to feed the crowd, themselves and many more leftovers.
REFLECTION:
- Can you look beyond yourself to the welfare of your followers?
- What sacrifices can you make for your followers?
TWO YEAR BIBLE READING: Ezra 7 – 8, Psalm 78