Jesus asked Peter to become a shepherd. We have all been given the same invitation to become shepherds through ministering.
Numbering is not about numbers. It is about making sure that each person feels loved.
“I hope those to whom you minister will see you as a friend.”
“Do our sheep know we are watching over them with love and that we will be there to help?” Mine certainly don’t.
“I think our tendency is to bring brownies rather than trying to figure out what they need.”
We want our sheep to be gathered into the fold of God. To do so we need to know where they are on the covenant path and be willing to walk with them.
Notice how the needs may not have an obvious connection to the outcomes. Who could imagine that giving reading glasses would result in making temple covenants? Not only that but giving reading glasses when they are needed is effective ministering even if there are no covenants later made as a result.
Last April, President Russell M. Nelson extended a similar invitation to us to feed our Father’s sheep in a holier way and to do so through ministering.
To effectively accept this invitation, we must develop a shepherd’s heart and understand the needs of the Lord’s sheep. So how do we become the shepherds the Lord needs us to become?
As we strive to follow the Savior’s example, we must first know and number His sheep. We have been assigned specific individuals and families to tend so we are certain that all of the Lord’s flock are accounted for and no one is forgotten. Numbering, however, is not really about numbers; it is about making certain each person feels the love of the Savior through someone who serves for Him. In that way, all can recognize that they are known by a loving Father in Heaven.
Numbering is about paying attention to the details in order to prevent anyone from falling through the cracks.
A second way to develop the heart of a shepherd is to watch over His sheep. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we can move, fix, repair, and rebuild just about anything. We are quick to meet a need with a helping hand or a plate of cookies. But is there more?
Do our sheep know we are watching over them with love and we will take action to help?
If they don’t know that we are watching they will miss some of the comfort of being noticed.
A friend—we will call him John—shared what can happen when we see another’s less visible need: “A sister in my ward attempted suicide. After two months, I discovered no one in my quorum had approached her husband to address this traumatic experience. Sadly, I had not acted either. Finally, I asked the husband to lunch. He was a shy man, often reserved. And yet when I said, ‘Your wife attempted suicide. That must be overwhelming for you. Do you want to talk about it?’ he openly wept. We had a tender and intimate conversation and developed a remarkable closeness and trust within minutes.”
John added, “I think our tendency is just to bring brownies rather than figure out how to walk into that moment with honesty and love.”
Our sheep may be hurting, lost, or even willfully astray; as their shepherd, we can be among the first to see their need. We can listen and love without judgment and offer hope and help with the discerning guidance of the Holy Ghost.
It is so easy to pass up opportunities to minister. This reminds me that at least half of those we see are in serious trouble.
Third, we want our sheep to be gathered into the fold of God. To do so, we must consider where they are on the covenant path and be willing to walk with them on their journey of faith. Ours is a sacred privilege to come to know their hearts and point them to their Savior.
The key is to come to know their hearts – that is never a numbers game because the only number there is one.
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