Allowing yourself to be cared for & shepherded by God

Written By Rachel Ann

I’m gonna keep this one short and sweet - in this world filled with the evils of hatred, selfishness, and harm, it’s important as a Christian woman of color to allow yourself to be shepherded by God.

If you winced at the bolded statement, perhaps realizing that you do not allow yourself to be shepherded by Him, then have no fear sis - I'm wincing with you.😬

It's really hard to allow yourself to be shepherded. God is present, but not in a human-walking-around-right-next-to-me type of way. The evils of this world are so heavy and strong. We have bills to pay, to-do lists to complete, kids to raise, spouses to care for, frustrating bosses to deal with, racism to combat… so, so much.

For many of us coming from cultural backgrounds that emphasizes pride and image, this has made it difficult to ask for help, accepting our areas of growth, and being truly vulnerable with others. But in doing that, we’re preventing God from caring for us through His people - by not asking for help, you’re eliminating one way for God to show His love for you.

What shepherding means

I think there’s some confusion around the term “shepherd”. Partly because we see a lot of pastors who say they shepherd, which is part of their job, but they don’t actually shepherd, and partly because we don’t observe shepherds walking around in our everyday life in 2025 as much as they did in biblical times.

Shepherding doesn't mean we neglect our responsibilities or be fearless all day everyday. It doesn’t mean we relieve ourselves from being accountable, growing, or learning. It means to trust God to care for it all, and allow ourselves to follow His leading because He knows, cares, and provides.

God knows

Yes, God is all powerful, all knowing, and omniscient…but let’s think about God knowing you, your life, your day-to-day stressors, etc. on a personal level:

  • God knows the number of hairs on your head (all the hairs! Luke 12:7)

  • God knew starting from the time you were in a womb (and were set apart even then. Jeremiah 1:5)

  • God knows the difficulties of the world (and has overcome them. John 16:33)

  • God knows the evils of racism, unfair treatment, genocide, misuse of power (so much so that He was troubled. Genesis 6:5-8)

God cares

Something that is so powerful for us to remember is that God, the Creator of the Universe, is caring. It seems hard to wrap our heads around right? Like the Creator of all things good is deeply personal and close to you:

  • God knows what you think about, worry about, struggle with (and He still loves you. Romans 8:35-39)

  • God cares about your thoughts, feelings, and actions. (and He knows about them! Psalm 139:1-6)

  • God cares about your well-being and safety (and wants you to be assured in Him. 2 Samuel 22:2-3)

  • God cares about you, because He created you (and He loves you. Psalm 139:13-16)

God provides

Thinking of God as our provider can bring tears to your eyes. Yes because it’s so lovely, but also because it may be hard to believe. In today’s world where basic things like safety, water, food, kindness, civility, and common sense seems to be difficult to access, the idea of being provided what we need to thrive seems hard to believe. But challenge that thought with these truths:

  • God provides rest in a world that says to strive (which is counter to what the world wants. Matthew 11:28-30)

  • God provides your needs because He cares for you (and is trustworthy! Matthew 6:26-34)

  • God provides protection and healing as our mighty warrior and counselor (and more! Zephaniah 3:17)

 

Because of all this (and more), God is our shepherd that is worth following, even when we're confused or still learning to trust Him. 🫶🏾

I know this a lot to digest, so take a few moments to breathe and reflect/journal on some things:

  • How has God shown up as mighty warrior in my life?

  • What makes it difficult for me to believe that God cares about my thoughts and feelings?

  • How can I partner with God in fighting the sins of racism, sexism, and more?

My hope for you is that you allow yourself to be shepherded by our Shepherd who is trustworthy, loving, and powerful. May you moments with God through these journal prompts allow you to feel His presence in your life, sis.💜

Need more support? Lemme help you sis:

Rachel Ann
Next

God as our umbrella in our weariness and growth