THURSDAY October 19th
1 Peter 5:1-4
‘So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.’
The theme in our verses today is primarily for those in leadership in a Church setting, but it is useful for those who are under the leadership as leaders need to be held accountable to that which are the responsibilities that God has placed in their lives. Peter himself was through this letter seeking to shepherd the flock of God from afar, but he was wanting to ensure that those who were in positions of leadership among the people were also doing the same.
He was giving to them an example that they should follow, and this is such an important lesson, those who are in leadership should be a good example to those who are the flock of God that is under their care. Perhaps one of the most important words in these few verses is the word ‘eagerly’. There should be an eager desire in the heart of a shepherd toward the flock that comes out of the love that he has toward the sheep.
I mentioned in a Bible study recently about the shepherd / flock / sheep picture that we get in Scripture concerning the people of God, both of Israel and of the Church and it is a wonderful picture, for when it comes to having a flock of sheep, the shepherd really does need to have a heart that is eager to shepherd the sheep, in the natural it is not an easy life, long hours, tough work, whatever the weather and some sheep can be extremely awkward, but it is extremely rewarding.
It is a reflection of what it means to shepherd the flock of God, it is a responsibility that cannot be taken lightly and most definitely cannot be taken half-heartedly. It is a serious and yet a great privilege. To shepherd the flock of God is a high calling, one that I trust that you see me taking seriously as you should see as the case with each one of us in the oversight of the local Church.
A while back while doing pastoral training, I had to write an essay on ‘The responsibilities and privileges of being a shepherd’ and when it came back after being marked by the lecturer his comments were ‘Only a farmers son could write such a beautiful essay’, well writing an essay is one thing, actually putting it into practice is another. It is Peter that helps those of us who shepherd the flock to understand how the task should be carried out and Paul in Acts 20:28 who gives this advice ‘Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.’