Be Their Shepherd; Not Their God
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[00:00:00] Hi friends, it's Katy. Today I want to talk to you about how we are to be our children's shepherd, not their God. We're to be God led, not God inspired. We're not here to replicate Him to our children. We're here to serve and honor Him through the way that we parent our children. So in the journey of parenting, it's too easy to find yourself desiring control over every aspect of your children's lives.
Or rather than even desiring it, maybe fighting for it without even meaning to. From their safety to their faith, you may wish you could be an omnipotent guardian, shielding them from every harm and guiding their every step. Now, this desire, although it's rooted in love, can overshadow the more empowering truth that your role is not to be their God, but instead to be their shepherd.
The shepherd role is something that Jesus himself illustrates [00:01:00] for us, and it's not coming from a place of force. It's with love, patience, and wisdom. Embracing this role means releasing an unrealistic level of control and instead guiding your children through life with a shepherd's hand. So imagine a shepherd, staff in hand, walking the rolling hills under a wide open sky.
This shepherd doesn't control every move of the sheep, but makes watch over them. He watches over them with a heart that's ready to guide and protect and care for each one of them. This is how we're called to parent. Mixing authority with kindness and leadership with love. Even in the vast landscape, the shepherd knows each sheep by name.
He understands their unique personalities and needs. And as parents, this reminds us to see our children as individuals, each with their own quirks, dreams, and challenges. It's an invitation to know your [00:02:00] kids deeply, to appreciate their distinctiveness, And to guide them with a personalized approach that reaches their heart and their spirit.
This kind of tailored guidance mirrors the individual care and attention that our Heavenly Father shows each one of us. Teaching us the value of personal attention and the deep impact that empathetic love can have. Your role as a shepherd asks more of you than just providing for physical needs. It's about nurturing their spirits with the gospel truth, filling their minds with wisdom, and ensuring they always feel the warmth of unconditional love.
You're to create spaces where they can safely explore, learn from their mistakes, and grow all within the reassuring presence of your guidance and God's grace. True shepherding gives your children the freedom to wander and discover under your vigilant watch, encouraging them to find their independence while ensuring [00:03:00] they know the way back to you, and more importantly, they know the way back to God.
It's teaching them to discern His voice in their lives, comforting them with the knowledge that He's always there guiding their steps, even when you're not physically present. Now, by embracing this shepherd's mantle, you become a vigilant protector, a wise guide, and a cheerleader of every milestone and moment in your children's lives.
You model the love and guidance of the ultimate shepherd, pointing your children towards him with every action, word, and prayer. It's in the daily routine, the simple moments. That you can find profound opportunities to guide your Children with love, just as he lovingly guides you, just as a shepherd leads their flock, your role in your Children's lives is more about guidance than control.
They look to you to navigate the complexities of life, to distinguish right from wrong, and to live out the grace and truth of the gospel in [00:04:00] the ordinary.
It's a journey that calls you to lean not on your own understanding, but to trust in the guidance of the ultimate shepherd who leads us all navigating this shift from control to guidance can be both freeing and daunting. It means stepping back at times to allow your children to make their own choices.
to experience the natural consequences of those choices and to learn from them. It's about being present, offering a steady hand or a comforting word, and knowing when to let go and let God work in their hearts. This approach doesn't mean you're hands off. On the contrary, it's an active, intentional stance.
You're there to set boundaries that keep them safe, to provide wisdom that helps them grow, and to instill values that guide them towards their own relationship with God. You're modeling what it means to listen for God's voice, to seek His [00:05:00] will, and to follow His ways, not out of obligation, but out of love and a desire to live a life that's pleasing to Him.
In the everyday moments, whether it's a decision about what to watch on TV, how to handle a disagreement with a friend, or even the bigger questions about faith and purpose, you have the chance to guide your children in understanding the world through a lens of faith. These are opportunities to discuss, to question, and to explore together, always pointing back to the gospel as your ultimate compass.
Embracing this shift from control to guidance is a powerful act of faith. It acknowledges that while of course you play a critical role in your children's lives, there is a greater guide at work. It's a reminder to ourselves and to our children that ultimately we're all following the lead of the ultimate shepherd, trusting him to guide us through every valley and over every mountain.
I once visited and [00:06:00] road tripped around Iceland, which is a place where sheep wander without. a kind of freedom that many of us aren't used to seeing. But the absence of traditional predators and lack of an abundant food source on any one property in Iceland has led to a unique way of shepherding that relies less on constant oversight and more on trusting the sheep's natural instincts along with trusting the community to come together and look after the flock.
This story from Iceland beautifully reflects a parenting style that balances freedom and safety. It's a reminder that giving your children space to explore and learn on their own when it's safe to do so is invaluable. Like the Icelandic shepherds, you learn to trust the instincts that you've nurtured in your children.
You learn to trust the foundation that you've built and in the collective wisdom of your community, your church, your family. Your family and your friends to support them in the journey with safe and clear [00:07:00] boundaries. Your Children can safely explore, discover and grow with a safe space to return to and a trust that God is watching over them, even in your absence.
What I find so beautiful about this is the parallel to shepherding in the majority of the United States, where, of course, due to the sheep's natural predators and various other factors, there's a lot more oversight. And I think that's just important to note, because while we all may approach parenting differently, that's okay.
That's normal, regardless of our specific individual approach, based on our specific individual circumstances, we can still see that our role is to guide. To correct when it's necessary and always to protect, but it's also to delight in the individuals that our Children are becoming fostering their independence while ensuring they know they're never truly alone.
Our efforts diverse as they may be are [00:08:00] all underlined by the same truth. that we are all operating under God's grace and provision. As a parent, you must find the delicate balance between leading and letting go, between guiding and trusting, and your tasks are clear. Provide for their needs, pointing them to the provider of all.
Guide their steps, teaching them to listen for the shepherd's voice. Correct with love, showing them the way back when they stray. Protect them, trusting in the protector to cover where you cannot. Delight in them, reflecting the joy that our shepherd finds in us. As you walk this path of Christian parenting, your highest calling remains clear to gently lead your children towards the heart of God, illuminating his ways and resting in the assurance that his provision and his protection provide.
This journey invites you to set aside any illusion of control [00:09:00] and warmly embrace your role as shepherds. This not only draws us nearer to our children, but also nearer to our connection with the Heavenly Father's heart. In embracing this responsibility, we're reminded that we don't walk alone. The ultimate shepherd is with you every step of the way.
Guiding you as you guide your little ones. It's a path that's marked not by perfection, but by grace. Driven with love and a profound trust that ultimately in his care, we'll Your children have everything that they need together with God's hand guiding and your heart open to his leading, you'll face challenges, growth and boundless joy as you move forward with faith and love.
I urge you to trust the shepherd to lead you every step of the way. I would also love to invite you to join myself and other like minded parents on a similar journey of love, light, and intentional parenting inside the Calm & Confident Club, where you can [00:10:00] find the community, the support, and the guidance that you deserve.
And that's at covenantcollections. com slash club.
