A good shepherd cares for its flock. Christ cares for those God placed under His guidance and protection but to and including His death. We, as Christians, are also responsible for those in our sphere of influence.

~ Lisa Blair

Police Officers, the Armed Services, Fire Officers, and Medical Practitioners all vow to protect their own and those under their charge. In some cases this occurs to a fault. However, in the truest sense, it’s part of the Christian way of life.

Like a Shepherd, Christ protects His own, even through [His] death. Shepherds care for their sheep. Christ’s actions define the attributes of a good shepherd as the Fruit of the Spirit: loving, kind, patient, caring, understanding and controlled. These characteristics represent who we are as Christians.  Like Christ, we strive to motivate, encourage, praise, teach, train, and protect those in our charge.

To this end, we protect and defend those in our sphere of influence: family, friends, and in some instances co-workers, to the extent of putting ourselves in the line of fire to protect them. The line of fire is not always bullets; sometimes it is words, degradation, or hurtful actions, regardless, we are the defense. We establish the boundary for their security. We should strive to be like Christ in every endeavor we undertake.

Image – LAB Photos

Reference – Sheepherders vs Shepards. John Taylor. Jan 1, 2018. LinkedIn; Biblehub.com; Biblestudytools.com