Heart of a Shepherd

Eighteen months ago, I sat in a workshop led by Lynn Anderson.  He was speaking about spiritual leadership and what he was describing as “The Heart of a Shepherd”.

Some recent spring cleaning led me to the notes I took that day.  For those in “official” positions of spiritual leadership, or for any who care about their ability and responsibility to influence others for good, perhaps some of these quips will bring something of value to you today.

  1. We cannot fix churches.  We can’t even fix people.  We can’t even fix ourselves!
  2. A critique of many who attempt to lead: “You want the Jesus results without the Jesus way.”
  3. “A spiritual leader is the kind of person who God-hungry people want to be like.”
  4. At some level, the heart of a shepherd is a broken heart.  And we need churches that are full of shepherds who have hurt.
  5. Getting hurt by the people we love is central to some of the greatest ministry getting done.
  6. If you don’t love people enough for them to break your heart, you likely don’t love them enough to do them much good.

Anything resonate with your spot on the road today?

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