READ: 1 Timothy 3:1-15
For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.:-1 Timothy 3:13
To become a shepherd, your wife must also have some qualifications. The character of the pastor’s wife has a bearing on his ministry (1 Timothy 3:11). A Bible school certificate is not the only qualification for the ministry.
To become a shepherd, you must be blameless. To become a shepherd, you must be sober, vigilant, of good behaviour, apt to teach, not given to wine, not quarrelsome and not greedy for money (1 Timothy 3:2-3, 8).
To become a shepherd you must be patient, a ruler of your own house, not a novice, of good report and already proved and tested (1 Timothy 3:3-4, 6-7).
What are the duties or responsibilities of a shepherd? Here are some of these duties.
The shepherd protects the sheep. It is the privilege of a shepherd to rub your sheep with ointment. The smell of the ointment keeps the flies away from the sheep.
The shepherd comforts the sheep. A shepherd will attend more and more sad functions as the years go by. A shepherd is expected to make himself available in the valley of the shadow of death. The valley of the shadow of death speaks of the dark places and difficult seasons of life.
A shepherd has the privilege of standing with the sheep in hospital.
A shepherd has the privilege of being in the home of bereaved ones.
A shepherd has the privilege of being at the funeral home.
A shepherd has the privilege of being at the graveside.
A shepherd has the privilege of wielding a rod and a staff to comfort the sheep.