On Becoming a Shepherd (and a Sheep)

Notes from the learning curve before the sheep arrive

In a month, my husband and I are going to become shepherds of a very adorable (and expensive) flock of sheep.

Preparing our property for these animals has been eye opening and costly. We didn’t realize how much there was to do until we began, and every time we check something off the list, three more to-do’s get added.

The whole thing has been one giant learning curve, and the sheep aren’t even here yet.

Even though we chose sheep (specifically the Valais Blacknose Sheep) for specific financial and logistical reasons, God has been gently tapping me on the shoulder about the spiritual symbolism of sheep.

It’s almost like maybe it wasn’t just a bright eyed idea by Julie… it was God’s plan to show me what it means to shepherd and be shepherded.

Did you know that sheep and lambs are the MOST mentioned animal in all of scripture? No other animal comes close.

God clearly reveals Himself through sheep and shepherding, and that’s intentional.

He is the good shepherd.

We are sheep.

Of all the things He could have used to depict our relationship with Jesus, that’s what He chose.

Maybe He REALLY wants me to pay attention.

What sheep are actually like…

..and Ac & I are about to learn this firsthand.

1. Sheep are not self-directing

Sheep don’t thrive by “following their heart.” If left alone, they:

• Wander aimlessly

• Get lost fast

• Can’t find their way back

They need a shepherd constantly.

2. Sheep are defenseless

They have:

• No claws

• No fangs

• No speed

• No camouflage

A sheep alone is easy prey.

3. Sheep are easily panicked

One loud noise. One unfamiliar shadow. The whole flock can scatter. Human nervous systems do the same thing.

This is why the Bible emphasizes:

• Stillness

• Trust

• Voice recognition

Peace comes from recognizing the Shepherd, not controlling the environment.

4. Sheep don’t know what’s good for them

Sheep will:

• Eat poisonous plants

• Drink dirty water

• Lie down in unsafe places

They need to be led to green pastures and still waters—they don’t naturally choose them.

5. Sheep thrive best in community

A lone sheep is a dead sheep. A flock:

• Stays warmer

• Is safer

• Is easier to protect

This is why Scripture is so relational. Faith was never meant to be a solo act.

6. Sheep are highly attuned to voice

Sheep can recognize their shepherd’s voice and distinguish it from others. Why it matters:

• Sheep don’t respond well to force

• They respond to familiar, calm direction

• Anxiety increases when too many voices compete

It’s pretty fair to say that I’ve spent a good part of my life not acting like a sheep. Maybe I was more like a goat. Or an untamed horse.

Stubborn. Self-directed. Easily spooked. Blew through boundaries. Ignored what was best for me. Refused to be tamed.

Let’s be honest.

Making it your life’s mission to act like a sheep is not exactly a high achieving path. 😂

It’s not really a goal to be a sheep.

But… when you have a good Shepherd, everything changes.

When sheep have a good shepherd, they don’t need to be brilliant, brave, or self-directing. They don’t need to scan the horizon all day for threats or decide which path is safest. They don’t need to know what plants are poisonous or where the still water is.

They just need to recognize the voice they trust… and follow.

That’s the part that keeps landing for me.

A good shepherd:

• Goes ahead of the flock

• Absorbs danger before the sheep ever see it

• Sets boundaries so the sheep can relax

• Knows when to move and when to let them rest

• Notices the quiet ones who fall behind

Sheep never become capable. They thrive because the Shepherd is capable, and He stays close to them.

I’m learning, humans are not designed to be endlessly self-directed.

We don’t flourish under constant decision-making, ambiguity, or pressure to “figure it all out.” It’s exhausting. As someone who has spent three lifetimes over functioning, I can attest.

Sheep flourish under:

• Clear direction

• Trusted leadership

• Consistent presence

• Rhythms we don’t have to invent ourselves

I’m realizing how much of my life has been spent fighting that reality — trying to lead myself harder instead of letting myself be led well.

What I’m learning before the sheep even arrive

The sheep aren’t here yet, but the lessons are coming quickly.

In this endeavor, we’re the shepherds and the sheep are … well… the sheep. And I’m not so sure I’m a good shepherd yet. I’m worried actually I will be terrible at it. This is just another area where I’m asking God to help me, and to trust that it will all work out.

My achilles heel.

Trust.

I trust effort.
I trust preparation.
I trust over-functioning.

What I don’t naturally trust is rest. Or guidance. Or the idea that I don’t have to carry orientation for everyone and everything all the time.

The sheep will be here soon, and I’ll learn how to shepherd them the best I can. But I think the deeper work is already happening… learning to listen, to slow down, and to follow a voice I don’t have to question or outsmart.

I don’t need to become a sheep on purpose.
I already am one.

The invitation is simply to trust the Shepherd, and let Him lead.

xx

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Scripture Study References

Foundational

• Psalm 23 – “The Lord is my shepherd…”

• Psalm 95 – “We are the people of his pasture…”

• Psalm 100 – “We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

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Sheep without a shepherd (vulnerability)

• Numbers 27:16–17 – Sheep without a shepherd

• 1 Kings 22:17 – Israel scattered like sheep

• Matthew 9:36 – Jesus sees people as sheep without a shepherd

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Bad shepherds / leadership accountability

• Ezekiel 34 – Condemnation of selfish shepherds

• Jeremiah 23:1–4 – Woe to the shepherds who scatter the flock

• Zechariah 11 – Warning against false shepherds

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God / Messiah as Shepherd

• Isaiah 40:11 – God gathers lambs in His arms

• Micah 5:4 – The ruler who shepherds God’s people

• John 10 – “I am the good shepherd.”

• Hebrews 13:20 – Jesus as the great Shepherd

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Lost sheep / care for the vulnerable

• Matthew 18:12–14 – Parable of the lost sheep

• Luke 15:3–7 – Joy over one recovered sheep

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Sheep & goats

• Matthew 25:31–46 – Separation of sheep and goats

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Shepherding as leadership (after Jesus)

• John 21:15–17 – “Feed my sheep.”

• 1 Peter 5:2–4 – Shepherd the flock gently

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Great Biblical leaders who were shepherds

Abraham

• Patriarch of Israel

• Wealthy pastoralist with flocks and herds

• Learned long-term provision, patience, and trust in unseen direction

Shepherding trained Abraham to follow God without maps.

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Isaac

• Son of Abraham, heir to the covenant

• Continued a pastoral life

• Led quietly, without conquest or spectacle

A reminder that leadership isn’t always loud.

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Jacob

• Father of the twelve tribes of Israel

• Spent decades shepherding under harsh conditions

• Learned endurance, responsibility, and humility over time

Shepherding shaped Jacob from a deceiver into a father of nations.

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Moses

• Deliverer of Israel, lawgiver

• Shepherded sheep in Midian for 40 years before leading people

• Shepherding broke impulsiveness and built patience

God used the desert and sheep to remake a prince into a shepherd-leader.

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David

• King of Israel, psalmist

• Shepherded sheep as the youngest, overlooked son

• Learned courage, protection, and responsibility in obscurity

David protected sheep from lions and bears before facing Goliath.

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Amos

• Prophet to Israel

• Explicitly identified himself as a shepherd and fig farmer

• Spoke truth without ambition or institutional power

God chose a shepherd to confront corrupt leadership.

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The Shepherds at Jesus’s Birth

• Socially marginalized, considered unreliable witnesses

• First to receive the announcement of Christ’s birth

God entrusted the first revelation of the Messiah to shepherds — not kings.