Lessons from Sabbatical 2025 | The Shepherd, the Sheepdog, and My Heart
Every year, L and I slip away for a few weeks and take an extended rest, laying aside ministry and detaching from the weight of pastoring. This has long been a practice that our elders encouraged and required of my mom and dad before us, and one that we’ve continued over the past 10 years. It has become one of the healthy rhythms in our lives that helps us run this race well.
Maybe I’ll write a few of these reflections over the next few weeks, or maybe this will be the only one, but I knew I wanted to write about my time away and what I realized and learned from Sabbatical 2025. There’s no particular order to these thoughts, just reflections from my heart.
1. I’m a sheepdog, not the Shepherd.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” —John 10:11 (NLT)
In the most loving way, Jesus reminded me that He is the Good Shepherd. My role is simply to obey His voice and His leading to the best of my ability. In that moment, I can’t describe the weight that fell off of me!
There is a weight we are meant to carry, but when we try to carry what was never ours,—even with the best intentions, we will always grow exhausted.
I think that in my desire to shepherd and pastor people, I have at times taken on a responsibility I was never meant to carry. Saying I’m like a sheepdog may not sound glamorous, but in many ways, that’s the reality of pastoring. And when I embrace it, there’s beauty in the simplicity of that calling. God doesn’t need my ambition. He desires my obedience.
2. My heart wasn’t as good as I thought it was.
If you’ve read anything I’ve written over the past few months, you know God has been consistently asking me: “How is your heart?” I knew going into sabbatical that, while He and I had been working on some things, there was still healing that needed to take place.
What surprised me was this: when I stopped preparing messages, stopped writing, and stopped performing, there were some deeper heart issues that surfaced and needed His attention.
This is when I discovered God’s grace and mercy on a new level. We often want a quick fix so we can “get back in the game” and make a difference. But God isn’t after quick fixes. He desires real healing. Some things take time, and that’s okay with Him. After all, He created time. He has plenty of it, and He is patient with us as we heal.
3. Lauren, Wes, and David are my first calling.
They need me – not a version of me weighed down by ministry burdens. Ministry impacts them more than anyone else, and it was a gift to simply be a family, present with one another, and unhurried in our time together.
Sabbatical reminded me of this simple but profound truth: I am not the Shepherd. I am His servant. I am not defined by what I produce but by who I belong to. And my first calling is not the pulpit, but my family and my own heart before God.
Rest has a way of re-centering us, peeling away the layers we’ve hidden behind, and allowing us to rediscover who we are in Christ. I came away with a lighter soul, a clearer focus, and a deeper gratitude for the Shepherd who leads so faithfully.
Journal: Where have I taken on weights or responsibilities that God never asked me to carry? What does it look like for me to surrender them to Him today?
Prayer: Lord, thank You that You are the Good Shepherd and that I can trust You to lead me. Forgive me for the times I’ve carried weights that weren’t mine and neglected the places You’ve truly called me. Heal my heart, restore my soul, and help me walk in simple obedience to Your voice. Thank You for my family and for the gift of rest. Teach me to remain in Your presence daily, even in the busyness of life. Amen.
Maybe I’ll write a few of these reflections over the next few weeks, or maybe this will be the only one, but I knew I wanted to write about my time away and what I realized and learned from Sabbatical 2025. There’s no particular order to these thoughts, just reflections from my heart.
1. I’m a sheepdog, not the Shepherd.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” —John 10:11 (NLT)
In the most loving way, Jesus reminded me that He is the Good Shepherd. My role is simply to obey His voice and His leading to the best of my ability. In that moment, I can’t describe the weight that fell off of me!
There is a weight we are meant to carry, but when we try to carry what was never ours,—even with the best intentions, we will always grow exhausted.
I think that in my desire to shepherd and pastor people, I have at times taken on a responsibility I was never meant to carry. Saying I’m like a sheepdog may not sound glamorous, but in many ways, that’s the reality of pastoring. And when I embrace it, there’s beauty in the simplicity of that calling. God doesn’t need my ambition. He desires my obedience.
2. My heart wasn’t as good as I thought it was.
If you’ve read anything I’ve written over the past few months, you know God has been consistently asking me: “How is your heart?” I knew going into sabbatical that, while He and I had been working on some things, there was still healing that needed to take place.
What surprised me was this: when I stopped preparing messages, stopped writing, and stopped performing, there were some deeper heart issues that surfaced and needed His attention.
This is when I discovered God’s grace and mercy on a new level. We often want a quick fix so we can “get back in the game” and make a difference. But God isn’t after quick fixes. He desires real healing. Some things take time, and that’s okay with Him. After all, He created time. He has plenty of it, and He is patient with us as we heal.
3. Lauren, Wes, and David are my first calling.
They need me – not a version of me weighed down by ministry burdens. Ministry impacts them more than anyone else, and it was a gift to simply be a family, present with one another, and unhurried in our time together.
Sabbatical reminded me of this simple but profound truth: I am not the Shepherd. I am His servant. I am not defined by what I produce but by who I belong to. And my first calling is not the pulpit, but my family and my own heart before God.
Rest has a way of re-centering us, peeling away the layers we’ve hidden behind, and allowing us to rediscover who we are in Christ. I came away with a lighter soul, a clearer focus, and a deeper gratitude for the Shepherd who leads so faithfully.
Journal: Where have I taken on weights or responsibilities that God never asked me to carry? What does it look like for me to surrender them to Him today?
Prayer: Lord, thank You that You are the Good Shepherd and that I can trust You to lead me. Forgive me for the times I’ve carried weights that weren’t mine and neglected the places You’ve truly called me. Heal my heart, restore my soul, and help me walk in simple obedience to Your voice. Thank You for my family and for the gift of rest. Teach me to remain in Your presence daily, even in the busyness of life. Amen.
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