Goats can be a handful. They can be stubborn and independent and rather than “flock� they often head off on their own. As is mentioned in other day’s reflections goats cause the most hassle for shepherds. Surely I’m not the only pastor who has struggled with goats in his own ministry, people who refuse to follow, who go off on their own, and who bleat at us whenever we do something they don’t like.
But what do we do when those goats scatter or wander off from our flock? I’d guess that I’m not alone in saying that part of me instinctively wants to chase after them, part of me wonders if that’s exactly what they want me to do, and whether I want to admit it or not there is a part of me that is almost relieved to see them go. So, what do we do with those goats?
As I was reading the day’s devotional about a shepherd boy chasing after his wayward goat, the Lord laid one of my own on my heart. I knew that the easy thing to do would be to let it wander off, but that as a shepherd entrusted with the Lord’s flock, I couldn’t sit idly by. And so I did one of the harder things I had done in ministry, I went after that ambling goat. It didn’t return by the way, but sometimes we cannot force the goats in our flocks to do things. But I also have the peace of mind and knowledge in my heart I did everything I could. As an under shepherd caring for the God’s flock, I did not sit idly by as one of the goats in His flock wandered off.
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