A Cowardly Lion Never Takes a Full Serving

When things got dicey, Peter split. His focus made him a coward. And while I’m sure there was a lot Jesus could have said to Peter when he saw him again after the resurrection, Jesus simply said, “Feed my sheep.” This is the best and hardest lesson that has stayed with me from mission work.

My mission experiences are full of moments when I’ve been tempted to run. I’ve been made fun of because of my weight, laughed at, blatantly lied to, as well as lied about, stolen from, scammed, treated with an ungrateful attitude and generally disrespected all while actively working in the mission field.

Jesus never said, “Feed my sweet sheep.” He just said, “Feed my sheep.” In fact the only thing we know about said sheep is that they belong to Him. And I think, when we’re trying to take a head count of who we’re supposed to serve, that’s all we’re supposed to know.

Feed the sheep that belong to Jesus.

That’s true in every mission field… including those with crabby neighbors, difficult coworkers, cranky kids, and snarky spouses. And you know what? You can’t feed folks like these if you focus on them. You’ll chicken out like Peter. But if you change your focus, like Peter did (Acts 4:13), you will no longer be cowardly. If you focus on the One to whom those sheep belong, you will be bold; courageous even!

Be brave, the world needs a full serving. It’s a jungle out there. Don’t serve because they deserve it. Do it because Jesus does. And he totally deserves it. He’s the King of the Jungle.

Roar. (Amen)

And for those of you still struggling to dole out a full serving to those who “get your goat”, here’s a little math short-cut to help you count the sheep that belong to God…

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.”- 1 Corinthians 10:26