Shepherding in the Home
There's something powerful happening when we move from understanding who the Good Shepherd is to actually becoming shepherds ourselves. Because here's the reality, all of us are leading somebody. The question isn't if you are a shepherd, it's how you are shepherding.
It Starts at Home
Spiritual leadership begins at home. Period. You can't come to church on Sunday, talk about God, and then live like the world the other six days and expect your family to reflect Jesus. It doesn't work that way.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 makes this clear, God's Word should be on our hearts, impressed on our children, talked about when we sit at home, when we walk along the road, when we lie down, when we get up.
Everywhere. Every moment.
Because if we spend six days living like the world and only one day living like Christ, we're going to look like the world, not like Christ.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 makes this clear, God's Word should be on our hearts, impressed on our children, talked about when we sit at home, when we walk along the road, when we lie down, when we get up.
Everywhere. Every moment.
Because if we spend six days living like the world and only one day living like Christ, we're going to look like the world, not like Christ.
Culture is what you Celebrate and Tolerate
Here's a truth that'll make you squirm: culture is created by two things—what you celebrate and what you tolerate. If the culture of your house looks a certain way, it's pointing directly to those two things.
Your actions will always speak louder than your words. If you say prayer matters but your family never sees you pray, does it really matter?
Your actions will always speak louder than your words. If you say prayer matters but your family never sees you pray, does it really matter?
Five Practical Ways to Shepherd Your Family
1. Know their spiritual condition. Ask questions about their faith, fears, and struggles. Create a safe space for honesty, not a place where everything's easy, but where wrestling is allowed without condemnation.
2. Lead through your words. Regularly remind your family of God's promises and His love. Use Scripture naturally in conversation. Make Jesus something they want to engage with, not something they have to do.
3. Model spiritual discipline. Children learn what we live. Exhibit a prayerful lifestyle. Read and discuss biblical topics. Engage in worship, not as duty, but from joy.
4. Protect and disciple. Be intentional about what media and entertainment you allow. If you don't know what your flock is consuming, you're not protecting them well.
5. Pursue the lost relentlessly. Jesus will always leave the 99 to rescue the one. Love your difficult family members enough to take a wound every day if that's what it takes to bring them back.
2. Lead through your words. Regularly remind your family of God's promises and His love. Use Scripture naturally in conversation. Make Jesus something they want to engage with, not something they have to do.
3. Model spiritual discipline. Children learn what we live. Exhibit a prayerful lifestyle. Read and discuss biblical topics. Engage in worship, not as duty, but from joy.
4. Protect and disciple. Be intentional about what media and entertainment you allow. If you don't know what your flock is consuming, you're not protecting them well.
5. Pursue the lost relentlessly. Jesus will always leave the 99 to rescue the one. Love your difficult family members enough to take a wound every day if that's what it takes to bring them back.
The Promise of Psalm 23
But here's the thing, we can only do any of this if we're following Jesus ourselves. We don't have the power to live this out in our own strength.
Psalm 23 isn't just poetic beauty. It's a promise about God's character and how He'll care for you:
Every single one of us needs something different from our Shepherd today. Some of us need rest. Some need victory. Some need guidance. He's promising all of it, but only if we follow Him.
Psalm 23 isn't just poetic beauty. It's a promise about God's character and how He'll care for you:
- Providence: The Lord is MY shepherd
- Contentment: I shall not want
- Rest: Green pastures
- Peace: Still waters
- Healing: He restores my soul
- Guidance: Paths of righteousness
- Protection: Valley of the shadow of death
- Confidence: I will fear no evil
- Presence: You are with me
- Victory: A table before me in the presence of my enemies
- Consecration: You anoint my head with oil
- Abundance: My cup overflows
- Grace: Goodness and mercy all the days of my life
- Eternity: I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever
Every single one of us needs something different from our Shepherd today. Some of us need rest. Some need victory. Some need guidance. He's promising all of it, but only if we follow Him.
The Call
You want to change the world? It happens one meal at a time around a family table. It happens one moment of surrender to the Lord at a time.
Jesus commissioned us: "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
So the question is simple: Are you following the Good Shepherd so you can lead others the way He leads you?