August 31, 2017
For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25 (NIV)
Jesus Christ is the shepherd (overseer) of our souls. He is also the servant (deacon) of God’s people.
Jesus says, “I came among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27). He also said, “I did not come to be served but to serve (literally, “to deacon”) and to give my life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Christ is the Teacher, who is himself the Truth. He is the King, who rules and manages his own household well. He is the Sage, who is the fountain of all wisdom. He is the Champion, who takes his stand against the enemy. He is the Servant, who gives his life as a ransom for many.
He is the Overseer, who guards your soul from danger. He is the Great Shepherd, who brings all his sheep into his eternal fold, and never loses one who is trusted to his care.
Think about what Christ can make of you! He may never call you to be an elder or deacon. But he can form in you the character and competence of an elder or deacon.
Not one of the leaders in the church where Timothy served at Ephesus had a Christian background or upbringing. When they were converted, they had all kinds of baggage. But when Christ takes possession of a person’s life, he changes that life from the inside. By his Holy Spirit, he reproduces his life in you!
Ask Jesus to change you from the inside and reproduce his life in you.