A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
~John Maxwell~Our Bible is flooded with imagery and references to shepherds. Our God refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd in Psalm 23 and Jesus claims this same title in John 10. Shepherds are continually linked with leadership for they are critical to the life of their flock. Knowing the way to shelter, food, and water, the shepherd literally sustains the life of the sheep. Leaders are often referred to as shepherds in the Bible for their role in God's eyes are nearly the same. Caring for the flock, leading, supporting, strengthening, and bringing back the lost are the job description for both shepherds of sheep and God's people. Shepherding God's people is an honor and responsibility that God entrusts and bestows and rightfully rebukes and punishes those who fail to fulfill this high calling.
After the reigns of King David and Solomon, when Israel had reached the height of its glory as a nation, its leaders began to forget the way, forget their duty, and forget their God. Though entrusted with the great privilege of serving God's people, Israel's leaders choose to serve themselves and fail in their duty. In Ezekiel 34:4 God rebukes them for their failure saying...
"The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them."In these verses we see a crucial pattern of what God desires of leaders--strengthening the weak, healing those who are sick, supporting the injured, bringing those back of have wandered off the path, and seeking those that are helplessly lost. Is there anything more important we can do on this earth that glorify God by seeking out those that are hurting, broken and bringing them back into the fullness that God has for them? Looking to Jesus, the good shepherd, this is exactly what He did on earth and continues to do in our world today.
The Westside of Chicago, like so many places in our world, is full of sheep without a shepherd. We see in our ministry people young and old that are being pulled in so many directions all promising fulfillment and purpose but that promise never being delivered. There is a very real struggle to stay afloat amidst crime, poverty, violence, and the chaos that our world brings. We can put names and faces to Ezekiel's words of those that need strengthening, healing, supporting, to be brought back and even to be found.
God's word inspires and gives direction to us and our ministry here on the Westside."Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out." (Ez 34:11) While bad shepherds neglect their sheep, He goes to the hurting, the broken, and brings them back to safety and shelter. This is exactly what we have been called to do among the hurting and broken on the Westside--to seek the lost, strengthen the weak, heal the sick, and bring back those who have wandered. There are few ways that we can better bring His name glory in the place than that. Looking to the example of Jesus this is exactly what He did and does. He knows the way, shows the way, and goes with us in His way.
