Shepherding in Chaos: How God Used Ordinary People to Make a Difference

Have you ever felt the ache to make a difference? You’re not alone. Even America’s top CEOs fear they’re not making a meaningful impact despite their success and resources. Whether you’re a student, parent, retiree, or professional, we all wonder: Will my life count? Will anything I do outlive me?

The Monk Who Changed History

In 404 AD, a desert monk named Telemachus felt God calling him to Rome. After weeks of travel, he arrived during the Christmas festival and followed crowds to the Coliseum. There, he witnessed gladiators preparing to fight to the death while thousands cheered. Horrified, Telemachus cried out, “In the name of Christ, stop!” At first, no one noticed. As he made his way down to the arena floor, the crowd grew angry. Standing between two gladiators, he continued pleading until he was killed.

But something remarkable happened. A wave of silence washed over the crowd. One by one, people stood up and left. That day marked the end of gladiatorial fights in Rome’s history. One small voice, in his time and God’s place, changed history forever.

Who Was Titus and Why Does He Matter?

Titus was a Gentile Christian whose name appears 13 times in the New Testament. He was:

• A partner with Paul

• A helper in the troubled Corinthian church

• A collector of funds for the poor in Jerusalem

• A missionary to Dalmatia (modern Yugoslavia)

• The recipient of Paul’s letter that became the Book of Titus

Paul sent Titus to Crete - an island known for one word: chaos. It was where robber barons retired, thugs gathered, and corruption and sexual immorality flourished. A Cretan poet even described his own people as “always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.”

Yet this is exactly where God sent His shepherd. While most of us spend our lives avoiding difficult places, God sends His people directly into chaos.

Three Tasks of a Shepherd in Chaos

The book of Titus outlines three essential shepherding tasks for making a difference in chaotic environments:

1. Shepherd New Leaders (Titus Chapter 1)

The Cretan churches had a problem - they were blending Jesus with their ideas of Greek gods, especially Zeus. This obscuring of Jesus was costly for their faith.

Paul instructed Titus to find leaders who were:

• Blameless, not overbearing or quick-tempered

• Not given to drunkenness or violence

• Not pursuing dishonest gain

• Hospitable, loving what is good

• Self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined

When a place is messy, God sends shepherds. In Ezekiel 34:4, we learn that true shepherds:

• Strengthen the weak

• Heal the sick

• Bind up the injured

• Bring back strays

• Search for the lost

• Lead with love, not harshly

2. Shepherd a New Household (Titus Chapter 2)

Paul instructed Titus to address every generation - older men, older women, younger women, young men, and even slaves - teaching them to live in ways that make the message of Christ attractive and compelling.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all people in all generations. It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to say yes to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12).

This Christ-led life, guided by the Holy Spirit, connects generations and creates compelling communities even in chaotic environments.

3. Shepherd a New Humanity (Titus Chapter 3)

Paul reminds Titus why this matters: “At one time, we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures… But when the kindness and love of our Savior appeared, He saved us not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”

The gospel isn’t just about forgiveness - it’s about transformation. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Many Christians trust Jesus for salvation but miss the second half of the gospel - that in Christ, we are a new creation. Our very nature has changed. We are no longer wired the way we once were. We are no longer slaves to sin and death but are living in freedom through the Spirit.

Life Application

If Titus was called to shepherd in Crete, where is your “Crete”? Where is the chaos in your life that God is calling you to shepherd?

• Is it your workplace where gossip spreads faster than truth?

• Is it your school where everyone’s identity feels up for grabs?

• Is it your family where chaos seems to speak louder than peace?

The temptation is to think small things don’t matter. That’s a lie. Your prayers, your hospitality, your small group - these are not small matters. Small things matter big.

One tiny monk ended the gladiator games for all time. One faithful shepherd planted a network of churches on one of the most corrupt islands in the Roman world. One imprisoned man wrote letters still shaping lives 2,000 years later.

God calls ordinary people to ordinary and extraordinary places and changes the world when they take on the mantle of shepherd.

Will you embrace your calling not just to survive, not just to earn a paycheck, not just to stay away from hard things, but to shepherd faithfully in this time and place?

Questions to Consider:

• What “chaos” has God placed you in the middle of right now?

• How might God be calling you to be a shepherd in that situation?

• Do you truly believe you are a new creation in Christ, or are you still living as if you’re “just a sinner”?

• What small step of shepherding can you take this week that ight make a bigger difference than you imagine?

Remember: You are here, in this time and place, for a reason. You are God’s strategy for this moment.