ShepherdLeader.com

"A shepherd after my own heart is not just developing a heart of shepherding. The heart of shepherding is developing a shepherd’s heart."

That's a powerful insight. As a church planter and high achiever, the shepherding aspect of my job has not come easily. I remember thinking after our church was planted and self-sustaining, "Wait, now I have pastor these people?!" I felt very ill-equipped, and poorly constructed for the task. But understanding that shepherding God's people was one of the ways God wanted to shepherd me was a liberating revelation. Now, I'm learning more that while I'm not the most pastoral pastor, I'm better than I was as I do what I'm called to do.

I get it. A shepherd after my own heart is not just developing a heart of shepherding. The heart of shepherding is developing a shepherd’s heart. It involves trust, obedience and wisdom. Perhaps the heart of shepherding is in the combination of all those. How foolish am I to think as long as I have a good heart, I am on my way to being a good shepherd. Neither is having a good mind the way to lead. It takes more than that to be one. I see that in all the biblical figures here. From Moses’ audacity to Isaiah’s courage, to Jeremiah’s reluctancy, to Ezekial’s passion, and to the New Testament shepherds, all have experienced different seasons in their lives. What amazes me is that their hearts did not harden despite what they had been through, but softened to allow God to mold them. It is allowing the Lord to work through us in the circumstances to see His mercy and compassion in the people. “Leading people to their real home� is indeed a compelling reason to have a shepherd’s heart. That phrase has made me realise why I was called to the ministry and why I need to continue to soften my heart to allow God to mold me!