Shepherds with No Time for the Sheep?

 
Shepherds with No Time for the Sheep?

“If you spend more time marketing yourself than ministering to people, it might be a sign you’ve drifted from the heart of the Gospel.” ~ ray mileur

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” — John 10:11 (ESV)

There’s a quiet shift happening in the church today—so quiet you almost miss it at first. Pastors and ministry leaders are spending more time polishing their platforms than tending their people. And somewhere along the way, what began as ministry slowly turns into marketing and self-promotion.

Don’t be blinded by the spotlight. It can dazzle you, distract you, and make you feel ten feet tall — but it isn’t the Light of the World. Only Jesus is. And the brighter His light shines in us, the less we need any spotlight at all.

The early church didn’t explode across continents because Peter had a catchy brand or Paul knew how to build a following. The Gospel spread because those men weren’t pointing people to themselves — they were pointing to Christ. The message was alive. The Spirit was moving. And the servants were humble enough to stay out of the way and let Jesus be the headline.

There’s nothing wrong with sharing testimony. But when the spotlight feels warmer than the altar, something inside us should pause and ask: “Who am I really lifting up here?”

And maybe that’s the saddest part of all — in a world obsessed with platforms, today’s shepherds often have so little time left for the sheep. The very people we’re called to guide, comfort, and love can get lost in the shuffle while the shepherd is polishing what was never meant to shine.

But the Gospel hasn’t changed.
Sheep still need shepherds, not celebrities.
They need presence more than polish.
Compassion more than content.
A pastor who smells like the field, not the stage.

So perhaps the Spirit is whispering a gentle invitation today:

Slow down, step off the stage and get back among the flock.

Trade the spotlight for the pasture and trade the applause for the quiet, faithful work of tending souls.

Because when the Jesus, the great shepherd appears, He won’t ask about our reach, our brand, or our following. He will ask about our faithfulness.

Our ministry will be measured not by who noticed us, but by the sheep who knew their shepherd’s voice — and by the Shepherd who knows ours.