Life is filled with many valleys of shadow and death. The risks before us are very real and costly. And yet we do not have to fear because Christ faithfully shepherds us through them all. And the life and comfort we receive from him then becomes the very life and comfort we offer to others – walking with others through their valleys in the same way Christ has been with us.
To be sure, we were never promised an easy life. In fact, our life of faith will always be on the frontier. But, like a good shepherd, Christ does promise to never leave or forsake us. His rod and his staff will comfort us as we go through the dark valleys of this life. And as he restores our soul we become the men who can then guide others – able to love because he first loved us.
It’s the man whose faith has been refined through suffering, loss, heartache, and pain, that’s then able to lead others through the same. Perhaps the hireling can give sound tips and advice to the sheep, but it’s only the true shepherd who’s able to guide the sheep because he has already walked the path himself.
Of course this doesn’t mean we can only help others if we’ve gone through the exact same struggles. Each story is unique. And the particulars don’t matter as much as how our strength has been shaped through the process. And we earn our right to lead by learning to trust the One who has shepherded us. Over time, it’s this intimacy and trust in our Shepherd that becomes the quiet strength others lean on in their own dark places.
Your job is not to make sense of your valley, but to trust the One who is forming you through it. And in time you will become the man who can faithfully guide others through theirs as well.
