What Happens When Sheep Bite and Other Things That will Blow Your Pastors Mind
What Happens When Sheep Bite and Other Things That will Blow Your Pastors Mind…….. so you decided to go into ministry and you don’t understand why everybody doesn’t just Love you like Jesus loves you. Seriously? Why do you think we have metaphors like Don’t shoot the messenger.
According to Ask.com “Shooting the messenger” is a metaphoric phrase used to describe the act of lashing out at the (blameless) bearer of bad news.
In earlier times, messages were usually delivered in person by a human envoy. Sometimes, as in war, for example, the messenger was sent from the enemy camp. An easily provoked combatant receiving such an overture could more easily vent anger (or otherwise retaliate) on the deliverer of the unpopular message than on its author.
So What Happens When Sheep Bite and Other Things That will Blow Your Pastors Mind ? Obviously, as a Pastor or Church Leader you are the Messenger and last I heard Sheep can’t shoot so here you go, the top 5 reasons Sheep bite and what you can do about it.
1. You are Physically Here.
The Sheep see you and hear you and even though that small still voice in their hearts is most certainly Jesus telling them what they should do next, even you have to admit they would look extremely silly “biting” themselves in disagreement or disbelief. Then they get tired thinking about it and you start to look tasty.
2. You Are Telling the Sheep Something They Don’t Want to Hear.
The Sheep already have heard it and are unsure of what it means to them specifically or how it applies to them as sheep. The Sheep know that if they are truthful with their selves that they would admit that your message is given out of your love for the sheep and your love for Christ but to admit that could mean that all the sheep have thought in the past is wrong and the sheep are not quite ready to admit they are wrong. Then they get tired thinking about it and you start to look tasty.
3. You are Making the Sheep Look Into Places in Their Lives They Don’t Want To See.
Even though the Sheep profess to be Christian they believe that to embrace their Christian beliefs and to follow all Jesus commandments is going to require more effort that they are willing to or believe they are physically capable of doing. They have embraced “Tried & True” Religious traditions for so long that they are unsure of this new idea of developing a relationship with Christ. There is also the knowledge that other sheep might accuse them of not being politically correct. Then they get tired thinking about it and you start to look tasty.
4. You are Leading the Sheep in a Direction They Don’t Want to Go.
Have you ever tried to lead a horse just by talking to him? Unless it was Mr. Ed I doubt you got full cooperation. Sheep want to go the path of least resistance. They want to continue to do the things they have always done in the same way they have always done them. They like to eat, bleep, poop and sleep. You are adding extra steps in their day. Some sheep aspire to greatness, some to sameness, some like being the “black” sheep, others embrace the idea that God wants them to be more and to be moved but they believe it will be to hard. The Manual is so thick and they are unsure of where to start. Then they get tired thinking about it and you start to look tasty.
5. The Sheep Don’t Like Your “Cool-Aid”
The sheep are all up in your Cool-Aid and don’t understand that it is actually Christ’s cool-aid. Your just here to share it. You quote Matthew 17:20 to the sheep and instead of understanding or believing that if they, the sheep, have faith as small as a mustard seed, they can say to their mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for them and they wonder how long it will take to shovel the mountain from here to there how many train cars they are going to need to haul it all off and can they use dynamite. Then they get tired thinking about it and you start to look tasty.
So what as a Pastor can you do about it? Fortunately you have several options.
OPTION 1
You can hide from the sheep.
You can water down your message and ask the sheep what they want to hear.
You can follow the sheep, tell the sheep how great they are and how you want to be more like them.
You can tell the sheep how to hide their faults so others don’t notice.
You can learn to like and drink the Sheep’s “Cool-Aid”
After all doesn’t the world need more “Slackers for Jesus”?
OPTION 2
You could just suck it up and continue on the path you started. Pray for the sheep that bite you and inoculate yourself with God’s word. Whine about it to your friends and family and ask God why being a Shepherd sucks?
OPTION 3
You could celebrate getting bit.
If you re-read all the reasons that sheep bite, reflecting on each reason you will understand that most sheep only bite out of fear. But every time they accept a new truth and move forward they are overcoming a hurdle that they once believed was impossible their minds are expanding from the wisdom that you share with them, their salvation and their ability to experience heaven on Earth is increased exponentially. Then they go out into the world and share with the other sheep how Christ changed their life through what you shared with them. Did You Know that Angels rejoice and Demons tremble when you celebrate.
You Should Definitely STOP focusing on the teeth prints in your A$$
Instead look up and see the tidal wave that started from the tiny ripple. The tiny ripple that was created when that first Sheep bit you. When you changed their mind and their heart. Look up and celebrate all the Sheep who were once followers and are now leaders, trained by what you shared from Christ. Look up and celebrate all the sheep who are leaving you to become Sheperds’ in Christ’s Pastures.
Continue Learning about Christ’s love yourself, growing in his wisdom yourself and feed the knowledge to the sheep until the sheep see, hear, learn, accept, grow and follow Christ the way you know they were meant to, with all their heart.
I ‘m sure it hurt, getting bit, but Thanks to YOUR perseverance, YOUR Leadership, YOUR Love for God and His Word and YOUR Commitment to getting bit for Christ the ones that God Called who have signed on to be Slackers for Jesus can now look up and see that you survived getting bit, that there is hope for standing up to be what God called them to be. WORLD CHANGERS.
Final Call to Action ~ Be Moved. DECIDE. Draw the Line in the Sand, TAKE OVER THE WORLD or ….. Be a Slacker For Jesus.
He gave you free will. Its up to you.
If you found this post helpful, please share. Be sure and share it with your Pastor especially if they can claim a set of teeth prints as yours!
UUUhmmm, Sorry Pastor(s),~ Shonta ………. there is always OPTION 1.
