Psalm
23: 5b You anoint my head with oil.
In colonial Philadelphia of the
1750’s the economy was struggling. No one seemed to have an answer to this
decline. Other cities throughout the colonies were prospering. No one had a
solution but Benjamin Franklin. One day he made a simple and odd suggestion:
hire some street sweepers.
As it turned out, when the dust in
the streets of the city got bad, people would not venture out of their homes to
shop and the shop keepers were keeping their doors closed due to the dust.
Franklin noted in his diary that the dust in one person’s eyes was surely an
inconvenience. But dust in the eyes of everyone could seriously derail the
economic and social life of the whole community.
As leaders we need to recognize the
little things that can have huge disadvantages to our people or our
organization. Sometimes removing something can create a better environment or
advantage for people. This simple fact is needed by the shepherd. Knowing the
environment and struggles in which staff is operating will help to ensure that
operations run well.
We want to think that our work as shepherd
leaders is always to bring resources to our people or ministry. This is
intended to improve the product or environment of our people. It can help to
increase productivity and make tasks more efficient or effective.
But we fail to see that many times there are people
or practices that inhibit others from acting and performing at their best
levels. This is when the shepherd’s instincts and watchfulness are critical in
removing the ‘sandspurs’ that cause friction in the group. When this occurs and
the shepherd sweeps away the irritants, the oil flows freely again. People work
together and the remaining practices become more effective.
