Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Church Leaders Conference hosted by Watermark Community Church. It’s an annual gathering held here in Dallas, Texas.
I attended along with four of my coworkers. We were a small group amid nearly 3,000 other people representing churches and ministries from all around America. It was a conference full of shepherds shepherding others called to shepherd their communities. There was even a guy attending the conference who had travelled from England!
It was a great time focused on leadership, ministry, and caring for the hurting. The Watermark team, consisting of staff and volunteers, poured into us with care and excellence.
It was a good time to reflect—one that I very much needed. Ministering to others is rewarding work. There are incredible highs and magnificent times of celebration. There are also deep valleys and dark seasons that take their toll on the human spirit. Sometimes, it’s hard to know if it’s well with your soul. Spiritual growth is difficult. There are times when those who are in the business of comforting others need comforting and reassurance, too.
Every shepherd needs a shepherd.
I confess that there have been times on this path that I’ve questioned if I had the willpower necessary to continue. I’ve tended to far more people at funerals than I have weddings. I’ve ministered more to those in crisis than those in love. I’ve held individual’s hands far more often in death than in life. I answer questions no one else seemingly has answers to and I solve problems I never knew I had the courage to solve. Shepherding others takes strength and stamina. It zaps you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
When we follow Jesus, we will suffer. We will make sacrifices. We will surrender ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him. Jesus calls us to join Him in living a radical life of obedience. We must train ourselves to be godly. We must preach the Gospel always; using words if necessary. We remind ourselves, we aren’t home yet.
Following Jesus is a radical lifestyle.
Francis Chan puts it this way:
“When we live in the light of eternity rather than “in the now,” we will suffer. We will be rejected because of the message of Christ, we will have financial sacrifices to make for the Kingdom and we must live lives of radical obedience. When we live only in the present and past, we become depressed. But when we look toward the future life with Christ, we are encouraged and reap a great reward.”
When we follow Jesus, we also experience indescribable joy and unfathomable peace. We will know what it is to delight in Him as He delights in us. For Eternity.
Is He worthy? He is!
May your cup overflow with God’s blessings as you reflect on the Lord’s calling on your life. May you have a rich time celebrating your mothers this Mother’s Day weekend.
With abundant mercies and grace,
Rainer Bantau
The Devotional Guy™
#bgbg2#BibleGateway
The Devotional Guy™ Rainer Bantau © 2023
The Devotional Guy™ 
God bless you for all you do. I know your work is stressful and difficult to endure at times. I pray God gives you fresh strength and grace each day. 🙏
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Amen. Thank you, my friend. Thankfully, God keeps the taps of His grace and mercy flowing so that my cup continues to run over with His blessings. I’m thankful for the time you took to read this post and for taking time to engage and comment. I appreciate your prayers! Abundant Blessings!
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Yes, following Jesus is a radical lifestyle, but nothing is more rewarding. Like Elijah, those in ministry leadership often feel alone, but it’s amazing how God uses them. God equips the people He calls. He is faithful. So when no one seems to shepherd the shepherd or encourage the encourager, it is God who carries them. I am praying blessings on you today so you will know deep in your heart that God partners with you in the grit and glory of His work.
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Thank you, Sue. I appreciate your prayers.
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This resonates today. I was just sharing with a friend this afternoon about something that stuck out to me recently, that also comes to mind reading your post. A worship leader was sharing that 1 Cor. 13 jumped out to her in a new way, as applying to the way we love God Himself. She went through it line by line. When she got to “Love bears all things,” she said, “Love for God bears all things.” She named some deeply painful things we sometimes bear for love of Him. It’s so true that we can only do so with strength when we live in the light of eternity. May He pour His strength and love and encouragement and hope into us as we take up our cross daily, following in His footsteps of amazing mercy and sacrifice.
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Amen 🙏 Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Jennifer.
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My pleasure!
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