The Work of Shepherds (4)

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. 1 Peter 5.2, 3

The Book of Pastoral Rule
Gregory the Great (ca. 540-604)
“But in the midst of these things we are brought back by the desire of charity to what we have already said above; that every preacher should give forth a sound more by his deeds than by his words, and rather by good living imprint footsteps for men to follow than by speaking shew them the way to walk in.”

Life is a mine field, strewn with temptations, trials, and potential disasters of various kinds. The skilled shepherd knows his way around these obstacles, and he will “imprint footsteps for men to follow” so that they can continue on the path of the Lord. The Word of God, prayer, and our personal example: these are the tools pastors have for ministry. These are the resources we bring to bear on the task of equipping the saints for the work of ministry unto the building-up of the Body of Christ (Eph. 4.11, 12). We must wield them all consistently and effectively. Yet if we do not excel in the use of our own example, our use of prayer and Scripture will not have as much power as they otherwise might.

In what ways do you lead by example in your own ministry? How do the people know that you walk with the Lord?

T. M. Moore

Fan into Flame
Our book, Fan into Flame, is a handbook on the work of pastors and shepherds. It explains the context, calling, and work of the shepherd, and provides useful tools for assessment and planning to improve in the Lord’s calling. This is an excellent resource for leadership training or personal growth into Christ. Order your copy by clicking here. Or contact me about our Pastoral Hope Initiative and we’ll walk through this handbook and various other assessment resources together. Watch this brief video, then drop me a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

And don’t forget to request your free PDF, Growing into Christ, our 28 day morning and evening series of readings, meditations, and prayer prompts on the work of making disciples. Just write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.and request your copy. Great for personal meditation, and for training others to make disciples.

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 Gregory,The Book of Pastoral Rule,in Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, eds., Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 12(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1895, 1995).