"Godly Leaders Smell"

March 01, 2020 | By Chuck

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock”(I Pet.5:1-3). Peter is encouraging elders of the Lord’s church to fulfill their God given responsibility to shepherd the flock. He also gives them instructions on how to carry out that task and the attitude they must have to do so. A godly leader leads the way God wants him to lead. According to Peter, a godly leader willingly shepherds his flock and not for personal gain. He also eagerly sets an example for his flock, rather than dominate them with demands and orders. Spiritually strong shepherds are a necessity in the church as they lead their flock to spiritual growth and ultimately, eternal life.
All that Peter mentions in the above cited text must be put into practice by God’s shepherd, if he desires to honor God with his service. There is one thing that every shepherd in the Lord’s church must do to effectively implement Peter’s inspired words and that is be with their people. A shepherd can’t adequately shepherd, serve or set an example to his flock if he isn’t among his people. The cattle farmer smells like his cattle, the restaurant worker smells like the food and the shepherds of the Lord’s church should smell like the people of their flock. Godly leaders smell like their people because they are constantly with them in the trenches of church work. They smell like their people because of the closeness of their relationships and the hugs and support during difficult times. As we add two new shepherds to our current seven, it is my prayer that our nine shepherds will do everything they possibly can to smell just like the flock of the Cabot Church of Christ.