Shepherds

One thing I have found to be completely true while working as a "supervisor" or being "over" someone with the Summer Staff this summer, so far is that Shepherds (good ones at least) smell like their sheep. This is something I have been "preaching" for years, but never grasped the fullness of it, until now!

I have realized that the Staffers respond so well to someone asking them to do something, when they have seen that person literally sweating, dirty and smelling the same way they are! How dare we ever ask someone to do something we are not willing to do! Alexander the Great (who was not the greatest guy in the world, I know) was was one of the greatest leaders of all time. When he died, they examined his body and found many, MANY war wounds. Alexander was said to be the first on the battle field and the last to leave, no matter what battle it was! His men followed him, because they knew where he was going. We can not lead people to a place we aren't going.

Imagine this: I tell you to go in the woods, turn past a large oak tree, then walk forty steps to the left, then turn to the creek and walk towards it, then walk to the big pine tree and pick up all the rocks you see and bring them to me. Those are pretty good instructions, if there's only one oak tree, one pine tree, and you steps are the same size as mine. A better way to do this would be to take you to the rocks, then ask you to help me pick them up. Not only does this not take more time then explaining everything to you (plus all the questions you would have) , but this shows you that I am willing to do the work with you! That is the kind of leader people follow!

The best example of this that anyone ("Christian" or not) could find would to be in Jesus. He never sent his disciples anywhere/asked them to do anything that He didn't do Himself. Most of the time He did more than them anyway. Not only that but, He washed their feet! A servant's job! He lowered Himself to the job that the rest of the disciples probably looked down on! Instead of making them wash His feet, or hiring someone else to do the job, or barking orders at them, He took the lowest position in the room... this showed that He was the best leader possible! If you are in a leadership position and think you deserve... you may wanna' do some self-assessing... not that no one deserves the roles they hold. C. S. Lewis said it best through the voice of Aslan to Prince Caspian; Aslan said, "All the kings," and Caspian said, "I don't think I'm ready to be one." Aslan turned to him and said, "That's how I know you are."