Devotions with Pastor Holmes

John 10:11-15 (the Message)
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees the wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He is only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him.

Ownership or having a personal stake in an event or situation changes everything. Three words will reveal if someone is an owner or a hireling. In Charge or responsible!

When you are in charge you may be the boss, but you are not the protector. The in charge person cares little for the individuals involved and much about the results. 

The responsible person sees the big picture. They care about the results, but they care more about the result of the results.  The end does not justify the means for the person who accepts responsibility. They know there will always be another day and another situation. Taking care of individuals placed in their care becomes more important than immediate results because tomorrow always comes. Long lasting results comes from taking the responsibility to invest in others rather than using others.

If that sounds kind of spiritual, it’s because that is how Jesus modeled spiritual investments for the kingdom! Are you in charge or responsible?

Pastor Holmes