Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
John 21:17 NIV
Messy…
It’s messy business feeding sheep…
Last week teaching teens… talking about feeding babies and toddlers… I asked… What is it like to feed babies…?
One said… Messy…
And yes… I had to agree…
Whether you’re feeding real babies baby food… or spiritual babies spiritual milk… the whole thing can just get messy…
But what I realized this morning… walking into the kitchen… it’s messy feeding young adults too…
Our three “babies”… now in their twenties… were over for dinner… and at the end of the evening not all the dishes fit in the dishwasher…
So what greeted me this morning… was a sink full of dirty dishes… and a very messy kitchen…
Yes… it’s messy feeding sheep… and people…
Spiritually speaking… with adults… the mess just gets bigger… because the messes have greater consequences… and when something unpalatable is fed… it’s not just spit out and smeared on the table…
It often comes back in the form of argument… or offense…
And if you’re not careful… you get drug into the middle of contention… rather than staying firmly planted in the center of grace…
Yes… it’s messy business feeding His sheep…
Actually… it’s just messy to feed anyone…
No matter the age… or maturity…
Words can be misunderstood… misconstrued… or flat out missed altogether…
So a word to the wise…
Be care-full… grace-full… and well prepared… when He calls you to feed His sheep…
[Photo by Flavio Gasperini on Unsplash]
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