The Work of Shepherds (1)

Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4.16

Sermon IX
Columbanus (ca 543-615)
“Wherefore let us know nothing more profitable for ourselves than to examine ourselves daily, every day of our life reviewing that dubious life, and keeping account of our words and thoughts, and shuddering at human life, to ponder without ceasing this aforesaid end of the roadway, that is our life, while we spurn the pleasures of the world.”

The work of shepherding begins in our own souls. A shepherd must watch over his mind, heart, and conscience to ensure that he is growing into the mind of Christ, maturing in the heart of God, and valuing the priorities of righteousness. We cannot properly care for the flock of the Lord if we aren’t caring for the little flock which is our soul. It’s a good idea to include in our regimen of spiritual disciplines an ongoing self-watch, so that we are diligent in heeding Paul’s exhortation to make the best use of our time (Eph. 5.15-17). A workable self-watch will involve careful planning, waiting on the Lord in prayer, and being accountable to others for our lives and ways. The shepherd who will not practice a self-watch will be in danger, both personally and in his teaching, of straying from the way of the Lord or, at least, failing to realize His fullness in life and ministry. And such straying can only redound to the detriment of those we are called to serve. Take up a self-watch, brethren, examining yourself daily, spurning the pleasures of the flesh as you seek the Kingdom not of this world.

How do you practice a self-watch? Do you have people around you who hold you accountable for your walk and your work?

The Time of Your Life
An effective self-watch begins by knowing where your time goes each day. We’ve prepared a brief worksheet, The Time of Your Life, which you can use to analyze how you use your time each week, and to help you begin thinking about how to make better use of the time God gives you each day. You can receive a free copy of this worksheet (print it on two sides of a single sheet) by writing to John Nunnikhoven at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The Time of Your Life worksheet is one of the assessment tools of our Pastoral Hope Initiative, which can help you discover baselines and make plans for growth in all areas of your life. Watch this brief video for more information. We have permanently waived the registration fee, so all you need to do begin this protocol is drop me a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and we can talk about whether the Pastoral Hope Initiative might help you.

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations are from G. S. M. Walker, ed., Sancti Columbani Opera(Dublin: Institute for Advanced Studies, 1957), pp. 61 ff.