Abraham Lincoln wrote, ‘I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.’
All of us feel that way at times. That is because we are all sheep in need of a shepherd. Of all God’s creatures, sheep seem the least able to care for themselves. They are directionless: they will walk off a cliff or wander into a river and drown. They are defenseless: they have no claws so they can’t fight, run fast or climb a tree to safety. They are dirty: your cat and dog can clean themselves, but sheep get dirty and stay that way. You say, ‘I don’t like being compared to sheep.’ All right, then answer these questions.
How well do you control your impulses?
Do you ever play the victim?
Can you relate to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?
Are you always upbeat and upright?
Do you add to the conflict and confusion, or do you always make peace?
Do you truly love people, or do you just use them for your own ends?
Are you generous, or do you mostly give to those who have something to give back to you?
On a scale of one to ten, how do you score when it comes to the fear of people, or failure, or sickness, or death, or rejection or risk?
Is your life an open book?
How often do you fail and need forgiveness: weekly? daily? hourly?
It sounds like you need a shepherd! So instead of saying, ‘The Lord is my shepherd’, try saying, ‘Because I need a shepherd, I make You Lord of my life’.
