Where do you find joy? Towards the end of his life, when Paul was away from Timothy, he wrote to his younger disciple, “I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy” (2 Tim. 1:4).
A shepherd must find joy in his flock. If for no other reason, they are the precious possession of the Great Shepherd, who has briefly employed certain men for their care. And as His precious possession, Jesus, the Great Shepherd, has joy in them. It is only right, and natural then, that those under-shepherds who are entrusted with their care find within themselves the same joy in such people.
Many in ministry often find them a burden. And, admittedly, many people often do their best to make it this way. But, still, the heart of any shepherd must never be depleted of its delight in the company of those who are the Purchased (1 Cor. 6:20). Paul “longed to see” Timothy and “be filled with joy”, and so, there ought to be a longing in every pastor’s heart for the joy of Christian attendance.
Such longing, I say, is a byproduct of longing for the Savior. And, perhaps the desire for Christian fellowship is somewhat of a measure of a Christian's desire for fellowship with Christ.
A shepherd must find joy in his flock. If for no other reason, they are the precious possession of the Great Shepherd, who has briefly employed certain men for their care. And as His precious possession, Jesus, the Great Shepherd, has joy in them. It is only right, and natural then, that those under-shepherds who are entrusted with their care find within themselves the same joy in such people.
Many in ministry often find them a burden. And, admittedly, many people often do their best to make it this way. But, still, the heart of any shepherd must never be depleted of its delight in the company of those who are the Purchased (1 Cor. 6:20). Paul “longed to see” Timothy and “be filled with joy”, and so, there ought to be a longing in every pastor’s heart for the joy of Christian attendance.
Such longing, I say, is a byproduct of longing for the Savior. And, perhaps the desire for Christian fellowship is somewhat of a measure of a Christian's desire for fellowship with Christ.
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