Shepherding Lesson

In shepherding the new ones, there are ups and downs. Sometimes they are open and indeed, very open, yet other times, they seem to be closed and very closed to the extent that they will not even pick my calls. Some of the new ones have come into the church life and are growing in the Lord, yet others are still on the same level when I first met them.  People change, and it's very hard to predict how one will turn out to be. 

There are many new ones I have been shepherding, though they are from different parts of India. I have been in touch with them at different times of the week. Sometimes they respond positively and yet other times they seem not to be interested at all. Some very promising ones at one point in time suddenly became unapproachable. And the trend is being repeated vice versa. This, sometimes, lead to discouragement. Nevertheless, all these experiences led me to go before the Lord in prayer.

As I was studying my Bible, I came across a couple of verses that described Pauls' experience of opposition. At the first glance, I was shocked, questioning how could that be? How was it possible that people would leave the apostle Paul? I regard him so highly just by reading the epistles he wrote and his testimony as recorded in Acts and his epistles.  How come his own coworkers, the people whom he shepherded left him? This was a paradox to me.

2 Timothy 1:15 This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas has abandoned me, having loved the present age, and has gone to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia; Titus to Dalmatia.

2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did many evil things to me; the Lord will recompense him according to his works.

2 Timothy 4:16 At my first defense no one was with me to support me, but all abandoned me. May it not be counted against them.

These verses were surprisingly discouraging yet very encouraging too. Discouraging, because many left Paul, a spiritual minister and perhaps, a father figure to many. Encouraging, because if such an apostle can be left by his own coworkers and spiritual children, what big deal is that if some of my new ones did not respond to me positively. So far, I have not had the opposition like Paul with his own coworkers leaving him, all in Asia left him, and no one supported him when in need. My experiences are in no way comparable to Paul's. Therefore, this is encouraging news to me. 

All the new ones are the children of God. Whether they open to me or not, at least they are believers and they would not fall back in their faith. Maybe they are not interested in fellowship with me nor with the church now, but still, their faith in the Lord is established. I can continue to pray for them and I believe, the Lord will recover each one of them, one by one, in due time.

Looking at the new ones will either lead to discouragement or pride. The better would be to simply continue the shepherding work to whoever is open for shepherding and the rest pray and wait for the Spirit to move in them.

May the Lord shepherd me to shepherd others in the way He wants me to, and grace me to be faithful in shepherding.