The Secrets of Your Identity IllustrationsSample

Analogy #3: Shepherd Your Soul

Ultimately, each of us must shepherd our own soul.

I know you may not be used to hearing this, but you are truly the one responsible to watch over your own soul; it’s not up to your local pastor. Yes, pastors play an important role in guarding our souls, but they are not with us 24/7, and we shouldn’t place that kind of burden on them.

It’s your personal responsibility to learn how your pastor shepherds your soul and then replicate that when the pastor isn’t around. As shepherds, pastors do three things.

Action #1: Feed

The main goal of any pastor is to feed God’s people. Pastors spend countless hours in the Word preparing sermons to help their congregations grow in their Christian faith. To shepherd your soul, then, you must practice your own personal Bible studies and spend time digging in to the Scriptures. Feed yourself.

Action #2: Guide

Pastors guide their sheep to green pastures and still waters. It’s their responsibility to make sure the sheep are led to safe places and not endangered. The same must be said about your soul. The Holy Spirit will indicate when you need to remove yourself from places that could open the doors to the demonic or lead to temptation. But He will not do the removing for you; it’s something you must do as the true pastor of your own soul.

Action #3: Protect

The following verse gives the perfect contrast of the true heart of a pastor. Pastors protect the sheep from wolves.

"But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep." —John 10:12

You must be ready to give your life in protecting your soul from the devil and the kingdom of darkness. Don’t run away when you see the devil trying to creep in; rather, confront him head-on. This means your discernment must be on high alert to see the wolf coming. That requires a watchdog style of protection. I’m very militant when it comes to protecting myself. Sometimes, it may seem like too much, but too much is never enough. I refuse to allow the wolf to gain an inch in my heart—and so must you.