Book: From Sheep to Shepherd: Chapter 5: The Process of Becoming
- Dr. Layne McDonald
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
We live in a world that is obsessed with the "reveal." We love the finished product, the grand opening, the stage debut, and the viral success. In our digital age, we have become accustomed to the idea of immediate influence: the "microwave" leader who rises to prominence overnight. But in the economy of the Kingdom of God, there is no such thing as an instant shepherd. God does not manufacture leaders; He matures them. He does not build platforms; He builds people.
The journey from being a "sheep": one who is led, fed, and protected: to becoming a "shepherd": one who leads, feeds, and protects: is not a promotion based on merit or talent. It is a fundamental transformation of the soul. It is a process that almost always takes place in the quiet, dusty, and often lonely corridors of the wilderness.
In this chapter, we are going to explore "The Process of Becoming." We will look at why God hides those He intends to use, how the wilderness serves as the ultimate classroom for character, and why the transition from follower to leader requires a total death to self-will. If you feel like you are currently "stuck" in a season of obscurity, or if you are wondering why your calling seems to be on a permanent delay, this chapter is for you. You aren't stuck; you're in school.
The Myth of the Instant Shepherd
In the Assemblies of God tradition, we often talk about the "anointing" of the Holy Spirit. We believe that God empowers individuals for service through the baptism of the Spirit. However, there is a dangerous misconception that anointing equals maturity. You can be gifted by God in a moment, but character is forged over a lifetime.
A "sheep" is characterized by dependence. A sheep needs to be told where to go, what to eat, and when to rest. There is nothing wrong with being a sheep; in fact, we never stop being sheep in relation to the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. However, as we grow, God calls many of us to become "under-shepherds." The mistake many make is trying to pick up the shepherd's staff before they have learned to follow the Shepherd’s voice.
The world says, "Build your brand." God says, "Build your character." The world says, "Get more followers." God says, "Be a better follower of Me." The world says, "Make it happen." God says, "Let Me make you."
The Theology of the Wilderness
If you study the lives of the great biblical leaders, you will notice a recurring pattern: a significant gap between the promise and the fulfillment. Between the anointing of David and the crowning of David was a decade of running for his life in the caves of Adullam. Between the burning bush and the Red Sea were forty years of tending someone else’s sheep in Midian. Between the baptism of Jesus and the beginning of His public ministry were forty days of fasting and temptation in the desert.
Why the delay? Why the wilderness?
The wilderness is where God deconstructs the parts of us that were built by the world. It is a place of forced simplicity. In the wilderness, the distractions of Egypt or the comforts of the palace are stripped away until all that is left is you and God. It is in this "hiding" that God does His deepest work.
The wilderness serves three primary purposes in the process of becoming:
Isolation: To ensure that your primary source of identity is God, not people.
Instruction: To teach you the rhythms of dependence: learning to rely on "daily manna" rather than "stored riches."
Inspection: To reveal what is truly in your heart when there is no audience to impress.
Moses: From Prince to Protector
Moses is perhaps the greatest example of a leader who had to be "broken down" before he could be "built up." Born a Hebrew but raised as an Egyptian prince, Moses had all the "right" qualifications for leadership according to the world. He was educated in the best schools, trained in military tactics, and possessed the natural authority of royalty.
However, when Moses tried to lead in his own strength, it ended in disaster. He murdered an Egyptian taskmaster and fled for his life. He thought he was ready to be a deliverer at forty years old, but God knew he was only ready to be a student.
Moses spent the next forty years in the desert of Midian. Think about that for a moment. Forty years: nearly half a lifetime: spent tending sheep. The man who was destined to lead two million people out of bondage spent four decades following animals that didn't know his name. This was the "unlearning" phase. In Egypt, Moses learned how to be a ruler. In Midian, Moses learned how to be a shepherd.
The transition from a scepter to a shepherd’s crook was a psychological and spiritual shift. A scepter represents power over people; a crook represents responsibility for people. God was teaching Moses that true leadership isn't about being served; it’s about serving. By the time the burning bush appeared in Exodus 3, Moses was no longer the arrogant prince of Egypt. He was a humble man who knew he was nothing without God. That is precisely the kind of person God can trust with His people.
David: The Integrity of the Unseen
While Moses represents the "deconstruction" of a leader, David represents the "foundational building" of one. David did not have a "prince" phase. He was the youngest of eight brothers, essentially the "runt of the litter" in a culture that valued seniority and physical stature.
When the prophet Samuel came to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king of Israel, David wasn't even invited to the meeting. He was out in the fields with the sheep. But it was in those fields that David was becoming a king.
David’s shepherd years were not a "waiting period"; they were a "training period." We often focus on David’s victory over Goliath, but we forget what David told King Saul before the battle. He said, "Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth" (1 Samuel 17:34-35).
Notice two things about David’s character in the wilderness:
Fidelity in the Small Things: David was willing to risk his life for one sheep. He didn't say, "It’s just one animal, I have ninety-nine more." He valued the individual.
Integrity in Obscurity: There was no crowd cheering David on when he fought the lion. There were no social media updates or news reports. He fought for the sheep simply because it was his job.
Integrity is what you are when no one is watching. If you are not faithful in the "sheep" season, God will not entrust you with the "shepherd" season. David learned to worship God when he was alone, and he learned to trust God when he was afraid. By the time he stepped onto the battlefield of Elah, he wasn't trying to become a hero; he was simply doing in public what he had already practiced in private.
Jesus: The Shepherd-Lamb
The ultimate model for the process of becoming is Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, we see a beautiful and mysterious duality: Jesus is called both "The Good Shepherd" (John 10:11) and "The Lamb of God" (John 1:29).
This is the secret of Kingdom leadership. You cannot be a great shepherd until you have been a perfect lamb. Jesus, though He was the Son of God, lived in total submission to the Father. He said, "I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me" (John 8:28).
The transition from "following" to "leading" in the Kingdom isn't about gaining more power; it’s about increasing in submission. Even as the Leader of the Church, Jesus remains in perfect alignment with the Father’s will. He led from a place of "death to self." In Gethsemane, the ultimate shepherd faced the ultimate test: "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).
If you want to lead people for God, you must first die to your own ambition. You must lay down your plans, your timelines, and your desires at the feet of the Great Shepherd. The "process of becoming" is, in many ways, a process of "becoming less" so that Christ can become more in you.
Practical Steps: Navigating Your Wilderness
If you find yourself in a season of obscurity: a "sheep" season where you feel underutilized or forgotten: how should you respond?
Embrace the Obscurity: Stop trying to be noticed and start trying to be faithful. God knows where you are. If He could find David in a remote field and Moses in the backside of a desert, He can find you. Use this time to build a history with God that isn't dependent on human approval.
Fight Your "Lions and Bears": What are the small responsibilities God has given you right now? Are you being faithful with them? Don't wait for a "Goliath" opportunity to show your character. Be excellent in the mundane.
Seek the Heart of the Shepherd: Spend time in the Word. Study the character of God. In Psalm 23, David describes the Lord as a Shepherd who leads us beside quiet waters and restores our souls. You cannot give away what you have not received. Let God shepherd your heart so that you will know how to shepherd others.
Die to "The Reveal": Surrender your need to be seen. The wilderness is not a detour; it is the destination where God meets you most intimately. If you never learn to be content in the desert, you will never be safe in the palace.
The Heart of the Matter
The "Process of Becoming" is uncomfortable. It involves heat, pressure, and long periods of silence. But don't mistake the silence for absence. God is most active when He is most quiet. He is weaving together the threads of your character, strengthening your spiritual muscles, and preparing your heart for the weight of the souls He will eventually entrust to you.
Remember: The sheep follow the shepherd because they trust his voice. And the shepherd has a voice worth trusting because he has spent a lifetime listening to the Voice of the Great Shepherd in the wilderness.
Stay faithful. Stay humble. Stay in the fields. Your "becoming" is happening right now, in the very places you are tempted to despise.
Reflection Questions:
What "lions and bears" are you currently facing in your private life that are preparing you for public leadership?
In what ways are you still clinging to "Egyptian" methods of leadership (power, ego, control)?
How can you lean into your current season of obscurity rather than trying to escape it?
A Prayer for the Becoming: Lord, I thank You for the wilderness. I thank You for the seasons where I feel hidden and forgotten, for I know that You are doing a work in me that cannot be done in the spotlight. Help me to be a faithful lamb so that I may one day be a trusted under-shepherd. Strip away my self-will and replace it with Your heart. Teach me the rhythms of grace and the beauty of dependence. May I be more concerned with my character than my platform. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the Author: Layne McDonald, Ph.D.
Dr. Layne McDonald is a seasoned author, teacher, and leader within the Christian community. With a Ph.D. and a heart deeply rooted in Assemblies of God theology, he specializes in creating resources that bridge the gap between biblical truth and practical living. His work spans from deep Bible commentaries to leadership mentoring, all designed to help believers grow in their faith, heal emotionally, and lead with integrity. Dr. McDonald’s mission is to equip the Church with biblically grounded, intellectually honest, and spiritually vibrant content that points people toward the transformative power of Jesus Christ.
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