// Wayne's Blog – My faith in leadership, personal growth, and business

The Heart of a Shepherd is for Everyone

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“Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.’” (Matthew 9:37 NASB2020)

We often focus on the opportunity to win souls but rarely highlight the scarcity of workers.

Jesus made this statement after being moved with compassion for the crowds, who were like sheep without a shepherd (John 10:11-14).

His empathy for the crowd and their spiritual condition revealed the need for guidance, calling for more workers to minister to the lost and broken.

The Lord’s expectation goes beyond reaching the lost—it includes shepherding them. This task is not reserved for pastors or church leaders alone. Every believer who desires to be a worker for Jesus Christ is called to shepherd others.

We can demonstrate pastoral care without holding an official title. Shepherding lies at the heart of Jesus’ ministry, as He is often described as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-14).

David beautifully expressed God’s shepherding nature in Psalm 23:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:1-4 NASB2020)

This shepherding care reflects compassion, guidance, and protection—not about perfection or always having the right answer when guiding the flock.

God takes the care of His flock seriously, especially regarding how leaders and communities treat the weaker members. (Ezekiel 34:1-10, 17-22) He is our good Shepherd, yet He chooses to work through human shepherds, like King David, described as a man after God’s heart, to shepherd the people of Israel. (Ezekiel 34:23-24)

Hence, there will be someone that God has called to guide, nurture, and protect you and His people.

The call to shepherd others is both a privilege and a responsibility. While many are called, those who choose to embrace this call reflect God’s heart and share in His work of leading and caring for His people.

As Jesus said, “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). There is a need for us to rise up and do the work of a shepherd, guiding others toward truth, love, and hope. 

Experiencing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

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During my recent mission trip to Jember, I had an incredible encounter with the Holy Spirit. It felt like a surge of power rushing through me, much like the experiences of faith heroes such as Samson, Saul, and David.

In that moment, I felt like Shazam, with multiple spiritual gifts activated during ministering.

This experience deepened my understanding that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given entirely by God’s grace (Romans 12:6). We don’t earn or practice to receive these gifts; they are distributed by the Lord as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11).

These gifts are for doing the Lord’s work, and when there’s a need, the Holy Spirit equips us to fulfill that purpose.

It would be limiting to believe we’re confined to specific gifts of the Spirit. We were told to desire spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1) especially to prophesy.

If God was willing to give up His Son (Romans 8:32) for us, what would He withhold? His gifts are perfect, constant, and unchanging (James 1:17).

We are called to do greater works than even Jesus (John 14:12), who operated in all the spiritual gifts in both his divine and human nature.

These gifts themselves are flawless. You can’t improve them, but you can improve how you use them — like a perfect hammer you’re given, you don’t modify it, but your skill in using it can grow.

Likewise, spiritual gifts function through our faith in God and our ability to be sensitive to and understand how the Holy Spirit connects and guides us from within.

Leadership Means Owning Your Team’s Mistakes Too. 

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Imagine your kid bullied someone. 

It would be ridiculous to say it is not your fault and push the blame to your child.  

Likewise, being a leader means you take ownership for the people you are responsible for the things you did not do. 

However, it isn’t just about taking the blame; it’s about guiding the team through both failures and successes. 

We should not shy away from being recognized for our role in guiding, supporting, and enabling the team’s success. 

Giving credit to others build trust, morale, and motivates the team to continue their good performance. It also demonstrates humility and selflessness of a leader. 

While we recognize our efforts, all glory belongs to God because it is He who ultimately directs the course of events (Proverbs 19:21).

True repentance transcends outward actions

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Whatever we do, God is always interested in our heart more than anything else.

David, who committed both murder and adultery, was not rejected as king of Israel, while Saul, who did not commit such grave sins, was rejected. The difference lies in their hearts. Saul made excuses for his sins, revealing a heart that wasn’t right before God. In contrast, David was truly sorry for his sins, acknowledging his wrongs without excuses, and seeking genuine restoration with God.

Getting our heart right before God is crucial because everything flows from it (Proverbs 4:23). If our heart isn’t right, our sacrifices, restitutions, or compensations will mean nothing to God as we won’t be able to change for the better in a way that leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10).

True repentance, rooted in a sincere and contrite heart, is what God desires from us, as it opens the door to His grace and transformative power.

Sharing the Gospel is Like Sharing the Best E-Commerce Find

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To feel rejected just because someone rejects you for the gospel.

It’s like saying we are feeling rejected just because someone decline an offer we got for a steal on the Internet.

It sounds funny and silly, isn’t it? We can overcome the fear of rejection by not taking rejection too personally when sharing the gospel.

Remember, you are just the messenger, not the Messiah.

As the world is blinded by power, possessions, and prestige, we need to train ourselves harder to appeal to them that everyone needs the gospel.

The art of sharing the gospel is to understand the needs of the people and the value of the gospel can bring.

That’s why Jesus said it will be hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God because people who are usually rich has not much needs. This also applies to those who think they are self-sufficient and make things happen on their own.

The Parable of the Dinner shows us how to share the gospel. The poor, disabled, blind, and limping all have one thing in common: they have a need.

  • The poor: those who have lack.
  • The disabled: those who cannot depend on themselves.
  • The blind: those without purpose.
  • The limping: those who are hurt

Everyone will have needs in their lives at some stage. Hence, I believe why Jesus pointed out that harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.

As for the rich, it may seem hard, but Jesus said with God all things are possible. He will help you reach out to especially those who are difficult by identifying their needs.