The Hospitable Leader DevotionalSample

By revisiting John 10 today, we see not only that leaders are supposed to help their followers live their God-given dreams, but we see an analogy for how leaders can do this effectively. Sometimes leaders are in place to help followers find what their own dreams are. Sometimes sheep don’t know where to go, but shepherds are in place to bring them to the pasture, or bring them to the protective pen, even if they don’t know they want to go there. Thus, leaders have the burden of helping their followers get to a place they may not even know they need to go.

However, it can be a difficult task to lead your followers to a place they don’t know they want to go. It can be especially difficult to do this in a way that makes your followers feel cared for, as it’s almost always a challenge to inform and lead someone to a sphere they don’t think they need. But Jesus gives us a symbolic glimpse into how he accomplishes this. First of all, he is positioned as the Good Shepherd, and contrasted from the bad shepherd, he is deeply intertwined with the livelihood of the sheep. He would lay down his life for the sheep; he knows the sheep. Second of all, the sheep know his voice. Back in Jesus’ day, sheep would follow a shepherd because they intimately knew the voice of their shepherd. A “hired” hand, in contrast, the sheep wouldn’t know, and therefore wouldn’t follow.

The resonance of your voice, and what that voice communicates to those under your influence, will result in where you can help lead the “sheep.” If someone hears your voice and immediately assumes a trusting posture, they will follow. On the other hand, if they hear your voice and experience fear, frustration, or confusion, they will continue to graze wherever they are, leaving them susceptible to the wolves. Sadly, we can’t change our voices with every new interaction. The previous interaction colors your voice and carries over to future interactions. Thus, a trusted “voice” is a built rapport, developed over time, finer with age as the complexity of leadership and its varied elements are integrated into its tone.