Elders Smell Like Sheep

In the local church there will always be men who are eager to serve, contrasted by those who are eager for status. There will always be men who are fixated on the care of souls, contrasted by those who are focused on self.

One of the great challenges (and needs!) for leaders is to discern a man’s motive for leadership. Through hard lessons and leadership mistakes, pastors will inevitably learn the importance of discernment, patience, prudence, and testing when it comes to appointing elders in the church. All elders are given influence, oversight, and a measure of authority. They are given a seat at the table where decisions are made and become a go-to for the congregation. The question is, why does a man desire this role? (1 Timothy 3:1). For some, leadership becomes a subtle way to satisfy the ego—to feel important, to exert control, or to fill a void that only Christ can truly satisfy. But biblical eldership is not about status. It is not about organizational authority or public recognition.

It is about shepherding souls. And shepherds smell like sheep.

A Vivid Picture of Intentional Involvement

The phrase “shepherding” captures something essential about pastoral leadership. A shepherd cannot care for sheep from a distance. He lives among them. He walks with them, protects them, feeds them, and searches for them when they wander. Over time, the shepherd inevitably takes on the smell of the flock he cares for.

Faithful elders are the same way. They do not lead from a distance. They live among the people of God. This is why Scripture repeatedly uses the imagery of shepherding to describe spiritual leadership. Jesus called Himself “the good shepherd” (John 10:11). Peter exhorted elders to “shepherd the flock of God among you” (1 Peter 5:2). Throughout the New Testament, the shepherd becomes the model for how leaders are meant to care for God’s people.

In the ancient world, shepherds lived outdoors for long stretches of time. They slept near their flocks. They protected them from predators. They led them to water and pasture. Their work was constant, physical, and often exhausting. Because they spent so much time with their animals, they quite literally smelled like them.

No one confused shepherding with self-indulgence or opulent prestige.

That reality makes the biblical metaphor even more powerful. God intentionally chose one of the most humble professions in the ancient world to describe spiritual leadership. The point is simple: shepherding is about care, not status.

In 1 Peter 5:1–4, the Apostle Peter gives one of the clearest descriptions of what faithful elders should look like. Using this text as our baseline, here are 5 marks of a faithful shepherd who will smell like the sheep he cares for. 

1. Faithful Elders Shepherd the Flock

Peter begins with the central command to, “Shepherd the flock of God among you” (1 Peter 5:2). The primary calling of an elder is not to manage an organization or oversee a religious system. It is to shepherd people.

Shepherding means knowing the flock. It means understanding their spiritual needs, teaching them the Word of God, counseling them through struggles, and praying for them in seasons of suffering.

Shepherds are not distant administrators or ivory tower leaders. They are active and present caretakers and they are among the people. This is why Peter says the flock is “among you.” Elders must be close enough to the people to know them. They walk alongside the congregation in ordinary life, rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep.

John MacArthur once summarized pastoral ministry this way: “A true shepherd does not stand above the flock shouting orders. He walks among the sheep, leading them and caring for them.”

That kind of leadership requires proximity. And proximity means the shepherd begins to smell like the sheep.

2. Faithful Elders Serve Willingly

Peter continues by saying elders must be “Exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God” (1 Peter 5:2). In short, faithful elders do not lead because they are pressured into it. Nor do they pursue leadership merely because it provides recognition. They serve because they want to care for Christ’s people.

True shepherds understand that the flock ultimately belongs to the Lord. They are not building their own kingdom, they are stewarding Christ’s.

This is why Peter says their oversight must be voluntary. It flows from a willing heart. Ministry that is driven by obligation eventually becomes cold. But shepherding driven by love produces joy.

3. Faithful Elders Reject Selfish Gain

Peter adds a warning that leaders must not be seeking ministry roles for personal again. He writes that the way they shepherd must be “Not for sordid gain, but with eagerness” (1 Peter 5:2).

The reason for this warning is that leadership positions can bring influence, recognition, and sometimes financial benefit. But a faithful elder does not pursue ministry for personal advantage.

He serves eagerly because he loves the flock. 

That eagerness reflects the heart of Christ Himself. Jesus described the difference between a hired hand and a true shepherd. The hired hand runs when danger comes. The shepherd stays because the sheep matter to him. The same principle applies to elders today. Faithful shepherds are not calculating what they can get from ministry. They are focused on what they can give.

4. Faithful Elders Lead by Example

Peter concludes saying, “Nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3).

Biblical leadership is not domineering authority. It is visible example.

The elder’s life becomes a model of Christian maturity and characteristics such as humility, repentance, faithfulness, and obedience to Christ. The congregation should be able to look at their elders and see what it looks like to follow Jesus. It won’t be perfection, but it will be progression. They are growing in godliness and are exemplary in their pursuit of Christ. 

Charles Spurgeon captured this beautifully when he wrote that, “The shepherd must go before the sheep. He cannot drive them like cattle; he must lead them.”

Leadership in the church is never meant to crush people. It is meant to guide them. And guiding them requires closeness.

5. Faithful Elders Remember Who They Answer To

Peter ends with a final reminder saying, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4)

Every elder serves under the authority of the Chief Shepherd—Jesus Christ. The church belongs to Him. The flock belongs to Him. Elders are simply stewards entrusted with the care of His people for a season.

One day the Chief Shepherd will return, and every shepherd will give an account. On that day, the reward will not be based on visibility, influence, net worth, family heritage, or organizational success. It will be given to those who faithfully shepherded the flock of God.

Men who lived among the sheep.

Men who loved the sheep.

Men who carried the burdens of the sheep.

Men who smelled like sheep.