Some people have been given to the church as shepherds – people with a combination of compassion and capacity for caring for the flock. They have not been taught to be shepherds, but they can be taught to shepherd well. They are a gift to the body of Christ.
We should not expect to be able to function at the same level as them.
At the same time, we should not expect them to do all of the shepherding in the body of Christ. The one-another passages of scripture make it clear that we are all expected to interact in ways that will further the Shepherd’s formational purposes.
The Shepherd does not require us to have a certain degree or certificate before we engage. Nor does he allow us to excuse ourselves from acting because we lack certain skills or gifts. All that is required is that we allow him to work in us and through us. Everyone then has the capacity to shepherd someone sometimes.