Our scripture reading is from
Psalm 23 AMP
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| Jesus the Good Shepherd, an example for us all. |
image (c) Father Ray
1THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.
2He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful water
3He refreshes and restores my life (myself); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake.
4Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.
6Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.
Ministerial counselling of believers differs from individual to individual. However one thing which is common and clear is that Pastors must know how to take care of tired and discouraged sheep and be able to lead them to restful waters and green pastures as illustrated in Psalm 23. The notion that only Jesus Christ is the good Shepherd does not suffice here. They must follow every foot-step of Jesus Christ in caring and feeding the flocks.
Pastors must know that human-kind is a tripartite being. We are made up of spirit, soul and body. No one of this entity must suffer for long. Machinery or structure must be put in place to take care of these entities. Jesus Christ demonstrated this in His earthly ministries. He fed the flocks with the Word and met their physical needs: fed 5000 people in Matthew 14:13-21 and another 4000 in Matthew 15:29-38.
The approach and method adopted by the early church in Acts 6 should be of great importance to every church. Committees headed by experts in different fields, as made up in the church, must be constituted to take care of and look into the welfare of members
Pastors must understand that the journey of salvation is like the journey of the children of Israel in the wilderness, where many on meeting with hardship will murmur and grumble against the leadership and sometimes against God.
Many will also backslide and grow cold as the journey hots up. They must understand that every congregation is made up of mixed multitudes that at times make themselves available for satan to use and penetrate into the church to cause confusion. They must be ready and braced up for action, by providing the required and needed leadership- leadership providing and catering for people’s need on an individual basis. Their duty is not just to preach the word alone but must include giving personal care and attention to members of their congregation.
Good communication is another important aspect of ministerial counselling of believers. Letting members know what is going on in the Church will help check the activities of rumour mongers and peddlers in the church. Being transparent and open will keep the activity of the enemy at bay and create an environment for Holy Spirit to manifest in power and in action.
This is the kind of responsibility that rests squarely on the shoulders of Pastors. Hence Pastors must consider Christian counselling as part and parcel of their ministerial duties and pay adequate attention to it.
God bless you. Our next installment will be looking at evangelism and counselling.
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