This blog is not about using super-spiritual language referring to the congregation or a fellowship, but is actually about being a shepherd.

Now this is not my normal employment, my job takes me all over the country delivering support and training for businesses, but every year I take a couple of weeks off and look after a good friends flock of sheep whilst the mothers try and run away from their lambs.

In many ways I simply teach sheep to count up to 2 (the ones I look after have twins) and sometimes the advance class can go up to 3!!
So for the past two weeks I have been looking after these sheep. Now sheep are not as thick as people may think. In truth they are cunning, plotting and planning animals that will take advantage of you as soon as you as you drop your guard; running through the smallest of gaps because you didn’t quite tie up the gate as well as you should; deliberately aiming for your knees rather than going round you as they run past, ignoring their lambs so you need to bend down to their level just in time for you to receive a swift blow to the temple by one of their horns.

Believe me, sheep are not thick – they know exactly what they are doing!!!

It was after just such an instance that I found myself beginning to lose my patience with one ewe in particular. She had been nothing but trouble all day. First she forgot she had two lambs and was ignoring one of them, then she bolted as I was moving her to a place where we keep mother and lambs closer together, she had butted me as I tried to get her own lambs to suckle and finally she had jumped out of her pen whilst I was feeding other sheep.

I was tempted to pick the flippin’ thing up and chuck her back in the pen with the sort of force that reminded her that I was meant to be the clever one in the shed, not her!!

As I lunged for the ewe (and I was actually quite proud of how quickly I made it across the sheep-shed to catch her) I was suddenly reminded of a bit of scripture, which I later found was in Matthew ch. 25: “You were faithful in a few things, come and be in charge of many”.
Here was I getting frustrated with an animal, and deep in my heart I want to be able to guide my fellow believers. If I can’t control my frustrations with sheep, how will I cope with the complexities of leading people?

Every day we have a choice to respond to the opportunities we are given in a few, small things to learn how to deal with the many, bigger things God has in store for us to be part of. I don’t want to lose my opportunity to serve the Living God – even more because I can’t deal with the frustrations of the few things He gives me to do now.

Steve Laugher – Area rep for Ripon and the Dales, Methodist Preacher and member of the Leadership of Masham Methodist Church.

I have a little confession to make. I like to be the one that thinks of the ideas, finds the way forward, makes the running does the work and takes the prize.

Shocking? Surely not? I hope that I’m not the only bloke that still has a competitive instinct after my 52 years on earth (and 35 years following the maker of the earth).

But I’ve noticed something else about this competitive nature of mine that can really get in the way if I am not careful. At 52 I have started to think about whether I have made my mark for God in this world. Is there a more significant role I can take on in the church? how can I use that wisdom and experience that God has given me in my life, while I am still able?

But this can lead to me trying to do everything and leaving no space for others to shine. Not because I am trying to prove myself to others, but perhaps sometimes trying to prove myself to me. The focus for that competitive instinct has become internal.

“I can still do the things I used to do,
I can still be everything to everyone”

Scripture tell us that we are each set a bundle of tasks that are ours to do (see Ephesians 2:10). My role is not to seek to do just something, but to allow God to guide me into the things he would have me do. So it becomes easy when I recognise that where I am right now, at this moment is because God has put me here to find one of those tasks He is asking me to do. In fact I am discovering that I don’t even need to look for them, I just need to be alert and they become obvious.

My lesson – Do what is obviously right and good. No more is needed, if you are following God He shows you what to do.