The need for parenting accompanies new entrants into the world. Christian converts are no exception.
They also require spiritual shepherding by biblical standards. Those assigned such roles are saddled with
rewarding responsibilities. The church in the world will always yearn for them.
To start with, our Chief Shepherd matured into His exemplary role. Luke 2:51-52 reveals how He
developed manifoldly under submission to His earthly parents. They cared He grew physically fit and
sound-mindedly. They also encouraged Him to love God and all people. Incidentally, Joseph and Mary
typify our precious and inalienable responsibilities as Christian parents today.
Whether biological or non-biological children, the upcoming generations need such caring love. To
support their integrated development, our concern must cut across their bodily, soulical, psychological,
spiritual, and social well-being. In this way, we prepare them to be sensitive and responsive to their
manifold needs and those of their fellow men. God could thereby find them better vessels to empower
them for a wider and more positive impact.
Our good Shepherd exemplified such inclusive and balanced development. This has made Him our ideal
to emulate and fashion others after. However, this should not be only a domestic parental commitment.
The Chief Shepherd of our souls would also have us be His available under-shepherds beyond the
homefront. He needs us to connect with more of His potential sheep still perishing out there in the
wider society. For now, they are "like" sheep without a shepherd. His parable of the lost sheep in Luke
15:1-7 is relevantly instructive.
Our empathy and strategic care for souls must, therefore, be daily appropriated. We need to be
positioned for the Master's use wherever He wills. We must make this sacrosanct even if called upon at
short notice. Our love-in-action must persist in and out of season. As He cared in His earthly days, we
too must pertinently care for the perishing and the saved alike. Hence, our Chief Shepherd would have
us be "The Good Samaritan" to perishing souls here and there. Yet, He still would desire in us "a Peter"
thrice mandated to love the Lord by feeding His sheep (John 21:15-17).
However, the miraculous feeding of that great crowd in the narrative of Luke 9:10-17 may have been an
evangelical moment. It likely birthed some more believing converts. Our Chief Shepherd must have felt
greatly rewarded even if it had been just one saved soul that long night. No wonder He tarried with the
people till that opportune moment. He burned for the spiritual conversion of the unsaved among them.
Such regenerated ones could then be followed up with the task of shepherding them as additional saints
for the church.
What do you do when such opportunities come your way? Do you look aloof or walk away
unconcerned? Do you flaunt a price tag or riggle out with many excuses? Could these be because you
see the crowd as not likely becoming "your" flock? By the way, who owns those we tag as "ours" and
"not ours" among His sheep? Is not our Savior the One who loved us unconditionally and sacrificed His
blood to freely grant us our inheritance as the saints? Oh, that may we return from our works and
sincerely enter upon His for us today! The prophetic warning of Matthew 7:21-23 is timely here.
Brethren, Matthew 9:35-38 is also a timely food for thought. The end-time harvest of potential souls for
the kingdom is heavily upon us like never before. Shall we find the heartfelt passion of the Lord of the
harvest and yield ourselves wholly for His use? Do we not perceive the many around us still wandering
like sheep without a shepherd? Oh, the choice is ours.
Finally, we have His promised recognition and crowns for our selfless and sacrificial caring labors. This
should motivate us in our ceaseless love for the Lord and the people He daily assigns us to by divine
ordering.
By Patrick and Glory Tayo