If the Lord is My Shepherd, Then Why Don’t I Follow?
There’s a pattern I can’t ignore when I look back over my life. Most of the mistakes I’ve made were not random or unavoidable. They were the result of following the wrong voices. At the time, those voices sounded confident, appealing, even promising. They pointed toward something that looked better, easier, greener. And I followed.
But I’ve learned something the hard way. Not every voice that calls to you is leading you somewhere good.
We live in a world that practically runs on influence. Social media has turned “influencer” into a career, and millions of people willingly shape their lives around what someone else says is worth pursuing. Why? Because influencers are really good at selling the idea that the grass is greener on the other side. They curate the image, highlight the wins, and filter out the cost. What they rarely show are the dangers that lie just beyond the fence. The stress, the emptiness, and the consequences that do not fit into a polished post.
Psalm 23 begins with a bold and deeply personal declaration: “The Lord is my shepherd.” Not just a shepherd. My shepherd.
Jesus builds on that image in John 10, calling Himself the Good Shepherd and the gate for the sheep. He makes a clear distinction. There are other voices, other guides, even thieves and bandits who call out. But His sheep know His voice.
That raises an uncomfortable question: whose voice am I actually following?
If the Lord is my shepherd, then I am not meant to be led by every trending opinion, every cultural current, or every persuasive personality that crosses my path. Sheep do not thrive by wandering from voice to voice. They survive by staying close to the shepherd who knows where the real pasture is and where the danger hides.
Jesus says something striking in John 10: “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” The promise is real. There is green pasture. There is life, and life to the full. But it comes through Him. Not around Him. Not beside Him. Through Him.
And here is the tension. We want the pasture, but we are often hesitant about the gate.
Walking through the gate means trust. It means surrender. It means believing that the Shepherd sees more than we do, that He knows not just where the grass is greener, but where the cliffs are hidden.
If the Lord is my shepherd, then I do not have to chase every voice that promises more. If the Lord is my shepherd, then I can trust that even when the path leads through valleys, He has not lost His way. If the Lord is my shepherd, then the greener pasture He leads me to will not come at the cost of my soul.
So today, the invitation is simple. Pause and listen. What voices have you been following? Where have they been leading you?
And then ask yourself, am I willing to walk through the gate?
Because the Good Shepherd is not just calling out directions from a distance. He stands at the entrance, inviting you into a life that is truly full. Not filtered. Not curated. But real, abundant, and secure in His care.
In God’s grip,
Pastor Chuck Church
