Holy Sheep We're Dumb

why as believers we're referred to as sheep

So, something I’ve been thinking about recently is how often we are in a church service and hear the phrase “Jesus is our shepherd.” Amen to that!

BUT! that would mean WE are SHEEP, right?

And then I asked myself, “WHY?” So I went looking for answers in the only place I knew where to look: the Holy Bible.

The bible would often refer to us as sheep because we NEED protection and guidance.

But from what?

EVERYTHING!!!

The world we live in is so broken, full of sin, corrupted by evil; we need someone to save, guide, and protect us from such things.

Now, please don't get confused by the title, which suggests that we, as sheep, are dumb. I’m mostly talking about how we sometimes behave in our relationship with God, which can be dumb.

Sheep are smart, and they are intelligent. They have cognitive ability, form deep and lasting relationships, stick up for one another, and grieve when they lose a friend.

Sounds an awful lot like Humans.

However, they might be as smart as they are, on paper, there is still someone who guides them in everything they do, a SHEPHERD.

We can be so caught up in what the world offers and shows us to be so intriguing that it often steers us from where we’re supposed to be.

Just as sheep, we wander. Just as sheep, we need to be brought back where we need to be. Just as sheep, we need someone to guide and protect us. Just as sheep, we need our shepherd.

Psalm 23:4 ESV says, “…; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

A rod is a long, slender stick or staff, often made of wood, representing authority, divine guidance, protection, discipline, or even a scepter, showing his sovereignty.

A staff is a stick or a rod, representing support, defense, or as a symbol of authority.

A Shepherd uses both—our Shepherd. A shepherd would use the rod to hit and correct some of the sheep who do not listen, and the staff would guide and bring back the sheep that are starting to stray.

Nonetheless, like sheep, we get comfortable and feel secure when we hear those around us who are there to protect and guide us, correct us when needed, and bring us back when we get misdirected.

Yet, we sometimes CHOOSE not to listen to God’s voice when we don’t want to hear correction, discipline, obedience, etc.

Romans 7:15 ESV says, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

Why do we do the things that we don’t want to do, but don’t do the things we want to do?

I’ll tell you. It’s because we have no direction. We think we can lead ourselves into the wild, thinking we will survive, but the world will continue to break us if we let it consume our souls.

Our disobedience and rejection of God to go on our way does not mean we are making it far before things fall apart.

Or, even when we can’t handle the trials we’re in, we turn to the world because we know the instant gratification it will bring us, but the instant regret we’ll feel afterward.

Distractions are inevitable, and temptation is bound to come, but how we deal with them and who we turn to to help us out of them matters the most.

When my life was going into complete chaos, it was because I did not have God; better yet, I did not let God lead me. Knowing he was calling to me to “come back,” I would still willingly turn from him.

It wasn’t until I realized how far and lost I was that I sought God’s voice to help me return to his ways.

Sheep are vulnerable without their shepherd.

We are vulnerable without God in our lives, guiding, protecting, and leading us.

Sheep sometimes follow mindlessly—BLINDLY. Like, “I can’t see NOTIN’,” blind. Sometimes, their voice sounds good even if it's not a good decision. But sheep will unthinkingly follow a leader; having faith, their shepherd will know where he’s taking them.

Matthew 15:14 ESV says, “Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Don’t let the world’s voice sound so good to your soul, just for you to follow it, to find out you’re being led astray. When the world offers fame, status, recognition, success, money, and luxury, it still won't be what fulfills us or guides us.

We NEED to have faith in God. Even when we think nothing is happening or we don’t know where we are going, we need faith in knowing God and where he’s taking us.

But what is faith if you can see everything ahead of time and try to rely on yourself to pass by the struggles, and think we are strong enough for what the world has to throw at us, and not let us be consumed?

There's a significant danger that believers and followers are being spiritually misled. We must know the importance of discerning truth and following God’s guidance.

2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV says, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

We CAN have our faith in God to lead, guide, correct, and bring us back with his rod and staff.

He is our one and true shepherd.

Psalm 23:1 ESV says, “The Lord is my shepherd;…”

He has been guiding us since before our first steps as infants. He will always guide, lead, protect, and correct us.

We are sheep—every single one of us. Yet we can make mistakes, fall short of God’s glory, stray for a bit. God is the shepherd in our lives, showing us how we need to live to depend on him alone.

John 10:27 ESV says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

thank you all for tuning in, hope this helps as a reminder, refresher, and challenges you. yours truly.