It’s tempting to make the Bible fit our lives, instead of making our lives fit under the Bible. Here are 3 reasons we submit ourselves to the Bible.
Let’s be honest: leading a group of women can feel heavy.
When you sit with women who are walking through grief, marriage tension, heartbreak, doubt, illness, anxiety, or spiritual confusion, it’s easy to start carrying weight that Jesus never asked you to hold.
You care. You love deeply. You want to help.
But girl – you were never meant to be the Savior of your group.
You are the guide.
Jesus is the Shepherd.
And learning the difference is what keeps you healthy, grounded, and joy-filled in ministry.
Today I want to give you four practical, biblical, life-giving ways to shepherd women well, without burning out, shutting down, or carrying burdens that belong to the Lord.
Let’s walk through them together.
When a woman shares something heavy – a diagnosis, a spiritually lost child, a painful marriage, deep sin struggles, etc. – the most loving thing you can do as a leader is immediately redirect her and the group toward Jesus.
You might say something like:
“Thank you for sharing that with us. Before we talk about anything else, can we bring this to Jesus together?”
Pray right there in the moment.
Why?
Because this models something crucial:
We do not fix – we bring.
We do not carry – we lift.
We do not rely on ourselves – we rely on Him.
You are teaching your group, week after week, what to do with the heavy things:
We take them to the Father.
Sometimes leaders feel overwhelmed simply because they believe they have to do everything:
Lead the study
Facilitate discussion
Pray over needs
Coordinate gatherings
Communicate with everyone
Provide hospitality
Remember every detail
But friend… you don’t have to carry all of that alone.
Sharing responsibility is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of healthy leadership. It also develops the spiritual gifts of the women in your group.
Here are roles you can delegate:
Prayer Leader: Someone who opens and closes the meeting in prayer. Or chooses someone to each week.
Hospitality Helper: Someone who organizes snacks, coffee, or the meeting space.
Scripture Reader: Someone who reads the passage each week. Or develop a rotation that everyone that come to expect.
Communication Keeper: Someone who sends reminders, check-ins, or updates.
Worship Starter: Someone who chooses a weekly worship song (if applicable).
Think of it this way: you’re not losing control, you’re building a community and future leaders.
There will be moments when a woman brings something to the group that is bigger than what the gathering can hold. It might be trauma, abuse, mental health concerns, or deep marital conflict. These moments matter and must be handled with wisdom.
Here’s a simple way to respond:
“I’m so grateful you shared that. It sounds heavy and important. Our group can pray for you, and I want to help you find the right outside support for this too.”
This does three things:
It validates her
It protects your group
It keeps you from becoming her primary emotional or spiritual caretaker
You can:
Encourage pastoral counseling
Recommend Christian counseling
Connect her with mature women in your church
Offer prayer support without becoming her only support
Boundaries don’t shut people out.
Boundaries keep both of you safe, supported, and spiritually healthy.
There will be things that come up in group that you’re not qualified or equipped to handle and that’s okay. Be honest about it and help them get the help they need.
This is the step most leaders skip, but it’s the one that makes the biggest difference in your soul.
When the group leaves and the room quiets, sit down with Jesus and unload everything you felt, noticed, or carried.
Tell Him:
“Lord, that story was heavy for me.”
“I didn’t know what to say there.”
“Help me love her well.”
“Show me what’s mine and what’s Yours.”
Then ask:
“Father, take everything that doesn’t belong to me.”
“Speak peace over my heart.”
“Give me wisdom for next week.”
Debriefing turns your weight into worship.
Here’s why all of this matters so deeply:
When you lead from overflow rather than exhaustion, your group grows healthier.
When you lead from peace rather than pressure, women feel safe.
When you lead from dependence on Jesus rather than yourself, burdens lift.
You are not the Shepherd.
You’re the guide who leads women to the Shepherd.
And that is a beautiful, freeing, Christ-honoring place to be.
You do not have to carry every heart alone.
You were never meant to.
Let Jesus carry what only He can.
Lead faithfully.
Love deeply.
Point women to Him.
And friend, you will see God move in ways that remind you He loves your group far more than you ever could.
I help Christian women grow in their faith, intentionally live it out, and pass it on to others.
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