Shepherding Through Writing

How To Guide and Care for Others With Words

Why do people create written works? What is the purpose?

In grade school, you’ll learn that there are three main purposes (or reasons) why authors write something: they write to persuade, to inform, or to entertain.¹ Sounds pretty straightforward.

With persuasion, we write to convince or convict our readers of something, leading and guiding them to certain opinions or actions.

We write to give people information which will increase and impart knowledge - to bring awareness to history or to expose our readers to facts or truth about the world.

And we write to entertain - to make someone feel a certain emotion, or experience something in their soul because of whatever it is we are expressing in our writing.

As a Christian writer, I find that my purpose for writing is even more complex. To write about God requires more of me. There is a weight carried when you are conveying something about the God of the universe. Writing and teaching about God frequently combines all three “writing purposes.”

• We want to inform people about God - to increase their knowledge of Him and who He is. And the Bible is what we use to inform people about godly truths.

• We also want to tug at people’s heartstrings - to take their knowledge past their heads and into their hearts with something like personal testimony that will verify what the Bible says.

• And ultimately, we want to persuade and provoke people to take action because of their love for Him and faith in Him - and it takes both information (truth) and emotion (Holy Spirit prompting) to do this. To persuade someone into life change is not simple.

In John 10, Jesus reveals Himself as the “good shepherd.” A loving Lord who guides and cares for people who follow Him. And as a Christian author, I believe the best writing motivation and purpose aligns with the godly roles and responsibilities of a shepherd. I aim to guide and care for people with my words.

Sheep (Photo by JKalina on Unsplash)

A shepherd is accountable and responsible for the wellbeing of the flock.² As a writer, am I willing to be held accountable for the things that I say? And is everything that I say contributing to the wellbeing of my readers - am I building up their minds, souls, and spirits?

A shepherd is the protector of the flock, ensuring their safety. As a writer, am I doing a good job protecting my readers from the lies of the world, false doctrines, and the enemy who prowls like a lion, ready to devour?

A shepherd provides for the flock. As a writer, am I providing content that feeds the souls and fulfills the needs of my readers? Am I producing work that is timely, speaking to the specific ways that God hopes to move in the lives of my readers today?

A shepherd must lead and guide the flock. As a writer, am I casting a vision for my readers? Do they know my voice and believe I am trustworthy? When I write something, do I have a specific plan for how I will lead them, including route, boundaries, and destination?

So how does someone shepherd with written words? There is no “one size fits all” answer to this, but my mentoring pastor taught me a few useful steps while writing curriculum for our local church that have stuck with me through the years.

1. “Begin with the end in mind,” just like Stephen Covey recommends in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People when you write or teach.³ What do you hope people have gained at the end of your written work or sermon? What revelation of God do you want them to receive? What do you want them to do in response? Be specific about what you want people to learn or experience! Well-defined goals help keep your writing organized, moving readers toward the same endpoint.

2. Follow a specific route to get people to the desired destination safely. When writing curriculum, in particular, I learned that it is important to have a plan for how you hope readers will reach your intended destination (revelation or action). Habakkuk 2:2 says, ““Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” If our route is clearly laid out, those who read it will be able to RUN. They will be able to easily apply the revelation they have received! A well-developed route in a written work will also guard against distraction, or rabbit holes, in the thoughts of readers. We don’t want them to end up lost, somewhere else entirely.

This is a common “route” that I use when writing curriculums to guide people to take action in their lives: I first reveal information (truth) about God from Scripture related to the topic. Next, I contrast this godly truth with lies from the world/culture/enemy. Lastly, I ask readers to apply this specifically to their lives (which appeals to the emotions and makes it personal).

The intent of this route is to compel and persuade the reader to take action in their lives based on revelations they have gained and areas of growth they have self-identified. A reader who has formulated a plan for life change by the end of your teaching is a “win” - you have successfully reached your destination.

3. Involve the Holy Spirit in your writing process through prayer. I want to ensure that my writing is edifying and building up the church. To properly care for those who read my written works or receive my teaching, I need to prayerfully ask God for His revelation for His people. I am just His mouthpiece; I only want to say what He desires to say.

Even if you are not a writer and you are reading this today, I want you to know that the shepherding concept can apply to any and all words that come from the mouths of people. You can be a shepherd with your words, too! What do you hope to accomplish with the words you speak daily? There is power of life and death in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Are you using yours to bring life, to care for others, to share the gospel, and to guide people into the truth of God’s love? If not, what steps can you take today to bring your words into alignment with God’s plan for your life and the lives of those you touch on a regular basis?

Questions (Comment with your answers):

1. Give an example of a time when someone acted as a “shepherd” in your life by caring for you with words. What impact did this person’s words have in your life?

2. How could you build someone up and care for them with your words today? (I challenge you to make this a reality!)
   

References:

1. Spangler, L. Identifying the Author’s Purpose Is As Easy As Eating Pie. 2020. https://www.n2y.com/blog/authors-purpose-is-easy-as-pie/#:~:text=ELA%20Teacher,inform%2C%20or%20entertain%3A%20p%2Di%2De.

2. Greenwood, B. What Are the Duties of a Shepherd? Chron. 2024. https://work.chron.com/duties-shepherd-23576.html.

3. Covey, Stephen. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2020.