“Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.” (1 Peter 5:2-4 NLT)
I have always loved the image of our Lord as the Good Shepherd--guiding, protecting, and providing for each of us. Those of us who spend much time in His company know that we are also called to be helpers in this important work. Unfortunately, pastoral caregivers often get caught up in ‘church work’--measuring their success in numbers like the rest of the world. We focus on the visible results instead of internal growth.
Henri Nouwen writes: “When our wounds cease to be a source of shame, and become a source of healing, we become wounded healers.”
Before we can be healers, we must get over the shame of our hidden wounds. We have to allow the Lord to dissect and drain our wounds. This is painful, disabling, and time consuming. It’s tempting to put this procedure off indefinitely. When we submit to God, He takes out anything that can cause further infection, applies soothing salves that bring relief, and bandages up our wounds.
Our role as wounded healers is to accompany others on their inner journey. We guide them more by example than by what we say. Once we learn to navigate our own inner pathways toward healing and wholeness, we can show the way to others.
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