Where are the biblical shepherds?
Walk into most churches today, and you will find a building full of people called “pastor,” but the question must be asked, “Does every person leading a ministry in a church building walk in the shepherd’s grace or gifting?” The honest answer forces an uncomfortable truth, which is that most do not. At least not from a Biblical perspective.
When Christ stood before His disciples and declared in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep,” He established a standard that transcends cultural preferences and personal ambition. This declaration came in the context of religious leaders who were failing Israel, shepherds who fed themselves rather than the flock. Jesus contrasted His mission with the hired hands and thieves who came before Him. The good shepherd leads not for platform, applause, or power but because love for the flock compels Him to sacrifice everything. When wolves circle and storms rage, the true shepherd stands firm, ready to defend, protect, and lay down his life.
This is the sacred calling. This is the weight that rests on those who dare to take up the staff.
Shepherding refuses accommodation to the faint of heart. The call demands more than charisma, education, or eloquence. God Himself places this weighty responsibility on the lives chosen for the care of souls. True shepherding manifests in tears, sacrifices, and relentless faith. Have you ever heard or seen your pastor cry real tears? Yet this calling stands as one of the most beautiful assignments available to humanity, guiding people to Jesus, walking with them through their darkest valleys, helping them recognize God’s hand in every season of their lives.
In this era of self-centered Christianity and fleeting commitment, the role of a shepherd has never been more critical or more misunderstood. The church today faces brutal realities that cannot be ignored or softened. Personal feelings and self-centered beliefs dominate, even within church walls. Emotions and opinions wield more authority than the Word of God. People seek comfort over conviction, quick fixes over deep discipleship. This is the landscape where shepherds must lead. This is the battlefield where spiritual warfare rages. The fear of correction, rebuke, basically the fear of man must go. Rebuke in love. Correct in love. But please do it when it is needed, especially in this hour.
Shepherding demands faithfulness to what God has called His leaders to do, regardless of cultural trends or popular opinion. Jesus set the standard. His blueprint consists of sacrifice, love, and unwavering commitment. The shepherd’s task is not building personal kingdoms, platforms, or brands. The shepherd’s task is not to gain recognition, accolades, or applause. The work requires a willingness to give everything, time, energy, and reputation to point people to Christ.
Family, the weight of this calling crushes those who carry it faithfully. Days arrive when the burden feels unbearable. Gossip spreads. Misunderstandings multiply. People leave with no explanation. Apathy threatens to overshadow the joy of ministry. Discouragement whispers lies about walking away, but Paul’s words in Acts 20:28 stand as a sobering reminder: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Paul spoke these words to the Ephesian elders, knowing he would never see them again. The apostle warned them of savage wolves that would come among them after his departure. This was not his ministry. These were not his people. They belonged to Christ, purchased with His blood. That truth changes everything.
Shepherding means staying the course when nothing appears to be changing. The work requires trust that God operates in hearts through ways unseen by human eyes, and sometimes the call is to plant seeds that will never be seen growing. Other times, the work involves pulling weeds or breaking up hard ground. Whatever the season, the job is to stay faithful. “NEVER MOVE THE PLUM LINE”. Paul wrote to the Galatians, a church struggling with false teaching and legalism, “Let us not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary” (Galatians 6:9). The harvest belongs to God alone. He controls the timing. He ensures the results.
Modern shepherding also demands authenticity that cannot be fabricated. Most people detect fakeness immediately. Not all have tickling ears or are searching for someone with perfect answers or an airbrushed life. They need someone real, someone who perseveres, someone who keeps pointing them to Jesus when the path grows dark and uncertain. Bold sermons mean nothing without bold lives backing them. Shepherds must show people what trusting God looks like when life gets messy.
Beloved, one of the hardest dimensions of shepherding is loving the church when it falls short. People occasionally experience frustration. Gossip can circulate rapidly. Miscommunication is common. Commitment may decrease when faced with challenges, but the church remains Christ’s bride. Messy, imperfect, broken, yet His. He loves her. If shepherds are going to lead well, they must love well. That means building up the body even when discouragement weighs heavily. That means seeing people the way Jesus sees them: not as problems to fix but as souls to care for.
The early church in Acts provides a blueprint for what the church is meant to be. Luke records in Acts 2:42 that the believers “were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” This took place in the immediate aftermath of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God fell and three thousand souls were added to the church. The simplicity is striking: a family devoted to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. No flashy programs or ministries. No trends. Just hearts fully devoted to God and to each other. Shepherding brings people back to those basics, those ancient paths. The church is not a building or an event. The church is the people of God living out their faith together.
Shepherds need encouragement in this hour. Do not give up. The work can be hard, but worth it. People do not see or appreciate everything, and that’s ok. God does. Every sermon preached, every prayer prayed, every late-night phone call taken, it all matters. One day, when shepherds stand before Jesus, they will hear the words every faithful servant longs to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). Jesus spoke these words in the parable of the talents, commending servants who invested what was entrusted to them. The reward is not based on the size of what was given but on faithfulness with what was received.
