Jesus said He was the good shepherd and that  He laid his life down for the sheep. He also said that Pastors are shepherds to and that they need to work hard at being good and wise shepherds. Most of my shepherding role as a pastor is spent in working at rounding up drifting sheep. It is not a particularly enjoyable job, rounding up drifting sheep, primarily because drifting sheep don’t want to be rounded up, and many don’t really think that they have drifted.

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12  just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

These verses written by the Apostle Paul as a pastor are life defining verses for me.,  when I phone someone and ask how they are doing and that I have missed seeing them, I often get a response that is hinting at “I am a big boy, and I don’t need you bugging me”.

I write many hand written notes, type emails, and thumb type text messages in the  hundreds,  to people in our church “exhorting, encouraging, and imploring” them to live godly lives. As I do this I pray diligently that God will work in their heart while I am “bugging”, I try to come across as humble, not as someone who has arrived and has it all together and I constantly remind myself that I am battling the devil, not people.