Leads

He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.
– Psalm 23:3

Making my way through the book of Psalms, it seemed only right to stop at the 23rd. These are six of the most beloved verses in the Bible. The phrases have endeared themselves to countless people throughout generations, each verse conveying comfort in its own particular way. Thus sets up the challenge for this series of blog posts: which word do I choose? Despite the more likely candidates in this psalm, let us take a moment to consider the idea of leading. Twice in the psalm the writer says, “He leads me….” The acknowledgement that God is leading clearly implies that the psalmist is not. If God is leading, what is the psalmist doing? Following seems to be the obvious answer.

Have you noticed that contemporary society does not put great emphasis on learning to follow? Major book retailers will offer a plethora of books on leadership, but few if any on followship. Okay, that may not be a real word (yet), but you get the point. One of the foremost modern authors on leadership in recent decades openly grants that the concepts in his books come right out of the Bible. That should be no surprise; the Bible narratives are rich with great leaders from whom we can learn. But it is also true that great leaders tend to be connected with good followers, whether they be many or few. And where you have great leaders connected with good followers, great things happen. Therefore, while we may strive to become good leaders, should we not also learn to be good followers?

Who knows better where the green pastures and quiet waters are: the shepherd or the sheep? Who holds the rod and staff that bring comfort in the dark valley: the shepherd or the sheep? Who carries the oil for anointing the wounded head: the shepherd or the sheep? Of every blessing mentioned in the psalm the writer is on the receiving end, not the giving. The Good Shepherd is the one giving; the psalmist is receiving. The Lord is the faithful leader; the psalmist, the good follower.

It is curious, maybe even a bit unfortunate, that pastors are often labeled as “shepherds” of their congregation. One pastor, whom I have considered a friend and mentor, gently pushed back against that idea. He would tell you that he is not the shepherd, but rather the sheepdog for the Shepherd. If you saw his car, you would notice the license plate “SHEEPDOG.” It is his way of clarifying what he holds to be important. Jesus is the leader, the Good Shepherd. As a pastor, he is simply chosen by grace to participate in Jesus’s work in a particular way. This means that even if called to exercise leadership, he must first exercise good followship.

Thank you, Lord, for being a merciful and faithful leader. May we learn to be good followers, and thus know the blessings of your shepherding presence. Amen.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me”
– Jesus (John 10:27).

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.