Who Are You Controlled By?

Read Ephesians 1 and 2.  If you have the time, read both chapters more than once.  When I did I noticed the phrase “according to” really started to stand out.  Check out these lists below.  (Again if you didn’t read it for yourself first, STOP and READ IT before continuing.

From Ephesians 1 “According to…

The good pleasure of His will”

The riches of His grace”

His good pleasure”

The purpose of Him”

The counsel of His will”

The working of His mighty power”

From Ephesians 2 “according to…

The course of this world”

The prince of the power of the air”

The lust of our flesh”

The desires of flesh and mind”

What does this mean?

The more I meditated on these phrases, the more it seems they are pictures of who we are controlled by.  Once we were controlled by the list in Ephesians 2.  But God intervened.  He has a plan and we are part of it.  Now we, who believe, are Spirit-led by God Himself. Ephesians 1 list seems like a reminder of who it’s all for and who is really in control.

Which of these two lists best represents you?

If the second list presently reflects you, would you like list one to represent you instead?

All it takes is a decision to believe what God said.  Believe in His Son Jesus, who He sent to save us.  He died on a cross to pay for your sin and mine.  God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Well, if you’re still undecided maybe call out to God like the father in Mark 9:24 did, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief!”

• Recognize we all sin (Romans 3:23).
• Acknowledge Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9).
• Become a child of God who is adopted into the family of God through faith in Christ (1 John 3:1, Ephesians 1:5).

Salvation is a gift of God no one can earn it or boast about it, because it is God’s doing.  Our part is to receive the gift and open it to experience the joy of His Salvation.

Lord Jesus, we believe we are sinners and need your saving grace.  Help us accept your gift of Salvation. Help our unbelief.  Forgive us and make us new creations in you.  We pray these things in your name and you said the Father will give us whatever we ask according to His will in your name.  Amen.

©Elizabeth Marks has led small group Bible studies for almost a decade.  Author of ThinkOnItBibleDevotions.com and BeingWomenOfInfluence.com websites she has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.

“Success!”

Camped out at the local library the other day, I came across a book with this title: “How to be successful 99% of the time.”  I wondered about the other one percent.  Then I wondered further. What does “successful” mean, anyway?  Guess that’s mostly a matter of perspective.

A quick scan of the library’s on-line catalog using the keyword “success” and synonyms such as promotion, motivate, achieving excellence, secrets of, champion, and my personal favorite, choosing your own greatness had me snickering such that the librarians kept “shushing” me.

I couldn’t help thinking, Excuse me?  Just how does one go about “choosing” greatness?  Hey, I’d like a side order of Greatness with that burger? Or how about sashaying into the local Wal-Mart, thumping up to the counter with, “Gimme a coupla those, two or three of these, and some Greatness with purple stripes and pink polka dots”?  And would you like that gift-wrapped?

“Why not?” you shrug.  “So long as I’m shopping for Greatness, might as well go whole hog, right?  Say, do any of these Greatness dandies come in chocolate?”

So I’m skimming along, reading about self control, staying focused and “how to get the most out of life, how to succeed at work and in life, live with passion” and “strive to be the best.”  (I feel a nap coming on.)  A practical guide to “creative empowerment.”  As opposed to what, stick in the mud stupidity?  Bone-jarringly boring disempowerment?  Oh wait.  There’s more.

“Manifest your destiny.”  Ouch.  This sounds like a history lesson gone mutant.  “No limit living.”  This is a book filled with sage advice like “Allow yourself to be a child again.”  Again?  What about still?

I’m sure that some of these books are helpful and the authors seem sincere.  Some of them even have lots of letters after their names.  Many of these tomes are laced with words like “happy, positive,” as in, “a positive attitude makes you healthier, and more resourceful.  This will show you how to protect yourself from negative thoughts, people, and how to foster a positive mental attitude.”

Why do I want to slap whoever wrote that?

Other oft-repeated mantas are “breakthrough strategies” or “how to be a perfect person in just three days.”

Personally, I think “perfect’ is highly over-rated, and that “success” may be in the eyes of the beholder.

I consider any day I’m able to keep up with laundry, the dishes and groceries a “success.”  Any day the kids squabble just half the time – instead of twenty-four/seven – is a “success.”  At-home family movie nights are a “success.”  Ditto picnics, fishing trips, camping, good health and the ability to read, write, and walk the dog.  Enjoy a sunset.  Smiling kids, blue skies, family time, a husband who actually listens to my disjointed musings and good friends are “success.”

So here’s the deal.  I read a book on How to Be a Success once.  It made me dizzy.  These days, when I wake up with the great urge to Be a Success, I check into another book.  I turn to the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel according to Luke.

Chapter eighteen is a potpourri of emotion and action: sternness, tenderness, rebukes, welcomes, laughter, and impending sorrow.  All this in just forty-three verses.  This is a busy chapter.  Indeed, Luke eighteen is an amazing feat of literary narration and academic architecture (perhaps) second only to the Pyramid of Giza.  Now, look at verse fifteen of this extraordinary chapter: People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them.

Do we know what this says, what it means?  Who brings a baby to an old sourpuss or a stuffed shirt?  Who wants a watery wet blanket to hold their little one?  Who carts their kid to a cranky curmudgeon?  Mothers don’t entrust their babies to just anyone.  If they were bringing their babies “to Jesus to have him touch them,” what does this say about Jesus?

Does the Jesus pictured in Luke sharpen our wits, poke and probe our innermost parts, convict to the roots of our hair and shake us to our very core?  Yep.  But I have a sneaking suspicion that Jesus also told the funniest jokes I could ever hear and that the same man who rebuked his disciples for trying to prevent the children from coming to him probably had a twinkle in his eye much of the time.

How can anyone or anything be more “successful” than that?

By Kristine, author, blogger, humorist, and chief wrangler at “the ‘ole testosterone farm.”

Excerpted from how i got to be fifty and other atrocities: a baby boomer reflects on the boom and other splashes of everyday life. Coming soon from Living Stones Publishing.

Carpe Diem x 18,262

I never told a soul.  Far as I know, no one knows.  Till now.

Back in my college days – some three decades ago – I decided to cut classes one morning and head for the beach instead of the books.  It was one of those bright, balmy, eighty-degrees days for which San Diego is famous.  Sapphire-blue, sun-soaked.  Postcard-perfect.  Especially for playing hooky.

I didn’t plan on bailing out of Western Civilization and Physical Anthropology 101.  But I found myself chugging down the I-8 in the exact opposite direction of Mr. Asmov’s lecture hall.  To put this in context, it was one of two days I “played hooky” in my entire scholastic career.  I’m more of the “nose-to-the-grindstone” type.  Steady.  Responsible.  Reliable.  As impetuous and impulsive as a gimpy snail in a molasses factory.

So why did I suddenly decide to do something as utterly uncharacteristic as spend a gorgeous sunny southern California day at Point Loma?  I’m not entirely sure.  Maybe I was tired of being “responsible and reliable.”  Maybe I was in a rut and wanted to stir some spontaneity into my schedule.  Maybe I wanted to “carpe diem.”  Seize the day.  Instead of the other way around.

It was a day worth seizing – wading, beachcombing, sand castle-building, soaking up some rays.  Lunching under swaying palms.  Sucking in huge chunks of salt-spiced sea spray.  (Okay, I also finished two essays, a book report, studied for exams and updated my Day Planner to a year out.  Nobody’s perfect.)

Know what I discovered on that hooky day at Point Loma?  Playing hooky is fun.  Delicious.  I don’t remember diddly from most of my lecture notes, exams, textbooks or Day Planner, but I remember that “hooky day” like it was yesterday.  There was something about seizing the day that was… soul-stretching.  Refreshing.  Recharging.  Energizing. Effervescent.

I loved it.

I celebrate my fiftieth birthday in a couple days.  It feels weird.  Like I should feel …. different somehow.  Older.  Wiser.  “Mature.”  Whatever that means.  On one hand I feel I’m way too young to be that old.  I mean, my mom was fifty!  On the other, it seems my half-century status is supposed to result in pearls of wisdom and sage sagacity.  Kind of like a modern Oracle of Delphi.

Truth is, I’ve never gotten the hang of that oracle thing.  Most of what I’ve learned and gleaned in my five decades isn’t all that earth-shattering: Put God first.  Honor your parents.  Love your spouse.  Hug your kids.  Work hard.  Serve.  Eat chocolate.  They say “you’re only as old as you feel,” which probably puts me somewhere in the Sesame Street demographic.  Also, “age is all in your head”.  Or hair.  Or hips.  Or… joints?

But like I was saying, “the big 5-0” feels weird.  Like I’m suddenly fair game for the other half of that famous “Titus 2” equation.  Well.  I’m not exactly turning cartwheels over that “older woman” bit.  There are still plenty of other “olders” out there, thank you very much.  If they’re real “olders,” I’ll pass.

Maybe you know the type.  They rehearse their daily litany of moans and groans, aches and pains with the regularity of day following night.  They’ve kept records of all the people who’ve wronged them over the years.  They’re gonna get even one of these days.  Or they spend so much time resting on their laurels and looking back at “the good ‘ole days” that “carpe diem” would give them whiplash.

These are the folks who take life and faith dead serious and you better too, bub, if you know what’s good for you.  Wait a minute. This phenomenon isn’t unique to the Geritol crowd, is it?  Some things transcend age:

- Comparing kids, outfits, income and accessories so the other person always gets short shrift

- Mammoth-sized me-ism

- Excising “I’m sorry” from vocabularies like it’s malignant

- Crammed closets compensating for shallow souls

- External busyness hiding internal barrenness

What did the Lord Jesus say about this?  Plenty.  But an almost-fifty year favorite is John 10:10b:

“… I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

In other words, carpe diem.  Seize the day.  Reach out.  Restore.  Get real.  Laugh.  Apologize.  Play hooky once in a while.  Grab your kids and scarf down that second banana split, guilt-free.  (If you can’t find your kids or don’t have any, borrow some.  Jesus did.)

While I’m hoping the cost of cake candles doesn’t break the bank this year, I have some regrets from the past 18, 262 days.  Some shoulda-woulda-couldas.  But I’ve never regretted that hooky day.  Don’t tell anyone, but I sometimes wish I’d taken more.

A few things I can tell you from my perch here in the middle-age rafters is that raspberry white chocolate cheesecake tastes better when it’s shared.  Lucy and Ethel in the bon-bon factory deserve an Emmy.  Toothpaste can’t be squeezed back into the tube.  It’s amazing how much less I know at age 50 than I did at 18.  Family, faith and friends matter most.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  And while sapphire-skied, sun-soaked days are perfect for playing hooky, carpe diem is for every day.  Life’s too short not to.

By Kristine, author, blogger, humorist, homeschooler.  Old Geezer.

Rules versus Righteousness

“They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul.”” Acts 23:14 NKJV

As I pondered over this verse I thought of rules versus righteousness. There were about forty Jews who took this oath to kill Paul. These men were angry enough to take a pledge to kill someone.  But to let anger drive you to make hasty decisions you will regret later is not only foolishness but it is sin.  The Bible teaches “in your anger do not sin” (Psalm 4:4 NIV).

According to these Jews the rules had to be followed.  Anyone who rejected the rules would be punished.  Isn’t that just like man? We make a rule and expect others to follow it.  When they don’t, we say they deserve punishment.  If God wanted us to follow rules, He wouldn’t have sent His Son, Jesus.  For God said, “This is my Son, whom I love and I am well pleased.  Listen to Him.” (Matthew 17:5 NIV)

These Jews were so bent on following a rule of taking an oath they were blind to how wrong their planned action was.   Paul did nothing worthy of death, yet these men were willing to deny them self food and water until they killed him. Killing someone without cause is wrong.  Jesus took this a step further saying even being angry at your brethren without cause puts us in danger of judgment (Matthew 5:22 NKJV).

The thing is we usually think we have a just cause, don’t we?  That’s where righteousness comes in. Righteousness defined by Merriam Webster is acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin and morally right or justifiable.  The Bible teaches us in Psalm 14:3 NKJV “They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, no, not one”.  No one is good, except God.  Our righteousness is worthless in His sight.  The only righteousness that is worth its weight in gold comes from God Himself.  These Jews were not practicing righteousness that comes from God, but what comes from man.  If they were following God, I’m sure they would have remembered Exodus 21:14 NKJV “But if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death.”

Next time anger tries to over take you, stop and ask your self “Why am I angry?”, “Am I trying to get someone to follow my rule?”, “Am I acting in accord with God’s Word?” Submit to the Lord, resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).   God’s righteousness is what we need, not rules.

Lord thank you for your precious word and your Holy Spirit who reveals your truth to us.  Thank you for your righteousness that sets us free from rules and brings us into relationship with you.  Help us in every way grow into your likeness.  In Jesus’ name we pray Amen.

© Elizabeth Marks, author of ThinkOnIt Devotions and has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.  For more devotions, bible studies and a recommended book store, visit http://www.ThinkOnItDevotions.com today.

Are You Listening?

 

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27

We have a new family member, Jack, a Jack Russell Terrier. Jack is a sweetie pie, cute as a button, the total opposite of Zeke. Jack loves to hunt, he has a field day in our yard running from tree to tree chasing whatever it is that he is chasing. He plays keep away with Zeke, they chase each other around the house, each one trying to keep the ball or stuffed animal away from the other. Jack has never had an accident, he’s not chewed up anything except chew toys. He’s a good dog. But Jack does not listen to me.

I can be calling his name and he’s so focused in on what he’s doing … he totally ignores me. I have to actually go over to him and pick him up for him to stop doing what he’s doing and look at me. Jack does not hear my voice.

Zeke, on the other hand, who has been my best buddy for over five years always hears my voice. Even when I don’t want him to hear me, he does. I cannot say one word without Zeke being at my side. Sometimes I don’t have to even speak, I can just look at him and he’ll come over and lay his head on me. Zeke loves me, he listens for my voice and the second he hears it, he responds.

Sometimes I act like Jack, with God. I am so busy running around doing my thing, I don’t hear His gentle whisperings. He literally has to put a wall up in front of me for me to stop what I am doing and listen.

I want to be more like Zeke in my walk with Jesus. I want to hear His voice, whatever I’m doing – where ever I’m doing it. I want to stay attuned to His call.

I want to be part of His flock. I want to follow HIM.

Father, thank you for allowing me to see this example so clearly. Teach me Lord Jesus, how to hear your voice, no matter what the circumstance.

I Love You Jesus!
In Your Name I Pray,
Amen

God’s Blessing Upon You!

Love,
Joyce

Million Copy Give-Away.
    Will You Help?

http://www.alifedecision.org

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…
   it’s about learning to dance in the rain!

Sheep Series #4 The Shepherd

Our last in the series is a look at the shepherd. Coincidence that it comes right before Easter? Hmmm…don’t think so!

Sheep must have a leader for they must be led and not driven. They must be told what to do and where to go, otherwise, they will wander off and get lost. They need to be watched over and cared for constantly. Hence, the need for a shepherd.

Since we looked at some of the characteristics of sheep that mirror those of humans, let’s look at some of the characteristics of a good shepherd and how they apply to Jesus as our Good Shepherd.

A good shepherd…

* loves his sheep and continually encourages an intimate relationship with them so that
they will develop trust and know his voice
* knows the things that make them sick and guides them away from them
* always watchful for predators and defends sheep against them
* protects the sheep while they sleep
* leads them to fresh pastures and fresh water
* is gentle yet firm while shearing them, watching closely for injury or disease
* goes ahead of sheep and prepares the path
* disciplines and corrects them
* keeps sheep from fighting, from hurting each other
* searches for a lost sheep and rejoices when finding it
* keeps sheep moving so they don’t get into a rut
* comforts them when they are hurt or fearful
* anoints them with oil to heal an injury or prevent disease
* is pleased when sheep are contented, well-fed, and safe
* knows the sheep’s needs better than they do
* sacrifices his life for them.

We find so much of this in Psalm 23. Adding in some of the definitions, we might look at it this way…

*The Lord is my Shepherd = The Lord is my guide, my companion
* I shall not want = I shall not lack; I have contentment
* He makes me to lie down = He causes me to rest
* in green pastures = giving me habitations of nourishment
* He leads me = He leads me with care to watering stations
* beside still waters = beside quiet waters, refreshing me
* He restores my soul = He draws me to return to Him, to restore me
* He leads me in paths of righteousness = He guides me in ways of rightness
* even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death = even though I move through the narrow valley of death’s dark shadow
* I will fear no evil = I will not be afraid of evil; I will have confidence and trust in my Shepherd
* for You are with me = because You are by my side
* Your rod = Your discipline and protection
* Your staff = Your guidance and support
* they comfort me = are my consolation and comfort
* You prepare a table before me = You arrange and spread out a feast of Your fellowship before me
* in the presence of mine enemies = in the face of those enemies that distress and bind me
* You anoint my head with oil = You soothe me with the oil of Your Spirit
* My cup runs over = You fill my life, saturating it to overflowing with provisions
* goodness and mercy shall follow me = Your goodness and favor pursue me
* and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever = and I will inhabit Your household for eternity.

This Shepherd said, “I am the Good shepherd; and I know and recognize My own, and My own know and recognize Me,” (John 10:14 Amp) and “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11 NKJV)

As the Good Shepherd that gave His life for His flock, He is also the Lamb of God, the great Sacrifice, of which John the Baptist said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NKJV)

Do you know all that this Good Shepherd provides for you? Do you know Him, recognizing His voice as He calls out your name? Do you know His peace, protection, provision, guidance, and comfort?

I pray you can often be found lingering at the feet of the Good Shepherd, awaiting His touch, and that you know Him as the Lamb of sacrifice.

~Blessings, Lynn~~

Sheep Series #3

Let’s recap. So far, we’ve seen that sheep…

* are not very intelligent and are not trainable,
* need constant supervision,
* have a strong instinct to follow a leader,
* have no sense of direction and will wander off, getting into trouble, especially if
they don’t listen to the shepherd,
* will follow the one in front of him even if it goes over a cliff,
* are non-aggressive, friendly, love being part of the gang
* are loving and love affection, lingering at the shepherd’s feet,
* are defenseless and easy prey for predators, needing protection,
* are fearful, even of running water,
* have little discernment and will feed on and drink what is not good for them.

Sheep also…

…need to be sheared…

Because of health issues and the usage of the wool, sheep desperately need to be sheared, which usually takes place twice a year. If sheep are not sheared to remove the accumulation of dirt, caked mud, and other contaminates that mat next to their skin, they will develop infections and health problems, possibly dying.

During shearing, sheep can experience a lot of stress and need an experienced shearer. The sheep will fight it until they are on their backs, held in the arms of their shearer, then, they will give in and relax.

It is done quickly so no harm comes to the animal. After being shorn, sheep need protection from the elements.

If sheep are not shorn, it decreases their mobility, and, if not done before the heat of summer, they will be susceptible to heat stress. Also, if not sheared at the proper time, their vision will be impaired.

Shearing keeps sheep productive and also allows for new growth.

…fall down and die…

If a sheep falls down and ends up on its back, it cannot right itself without help. No matter how loud his bleatings for help may be, the other sheep cannot help it get right. If left by itself too long, it will eventually die, so the shepherd watches to make sure each one stays on its feet.

…not burden bearers…

Many larger animals like horses, camels, elephants, and some others were created to carry loads on their backs. However, when it comes to sheep, they are incapable of carrying any load on their backs.

…frequently need a place to lie down and rest…

Sheep often need rest but don’t realize it. However, it is impossible for a sheep to lie down and rest if surrounded and pestered by insects or parasites. In order to rest, it must also be free from fear, hunger, and friction with others.

People…

* Do you need to be sheared of your circumstances?
* Do you need to get rid of any dirty issues in your life that might be causing emotional, physical, or spiritual problems?
* Do you have better spiritual eyesight after a shearing session?
* Do you fight those times of being sheared by the Shepherd? Or do you relax in His arms and allow Him to work His will in your life?
* Ever feel like the commercial, you’ve fallen down and can’t get up? And no one comes to help you? You can only be righted by the Shepherd.
* Do you carry your burdens around in a backpack, a little red wagon, or a U-Haul? Or have you let them go and given them to the Lord…and not taken them back?
* Are you free of those things that bother you, free of fear, hunger, and friction with others so that you can lie down in green pastures, resting your soul?

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb. 13:20-21 NKJV)

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

Sheep Series #2

Last time, we saw that sheep…

* are not very intelligent and are not trainable,
* need constant supervision,
* have a strong instinct to follow a leader,
* have no sense of direction and will wander off, getting into trouble,
* and will follow the one in front of him even if it goes over a cliff.

Let’s see what other characteristics they have.

Sheep…

…are non-aggressive…

Their non-aggressive temperament exhibits itself as being gregarious, calm, and easy to manage creatures. Because they love to be a part of the gang, a sheep will become agitated if it is separated from the group.

…are loving and love affection…

The sense of touch seems to be important to sheep because they seek bodily contact with a daily touch from their shepherd. They love their shepherd and can often be found lingering at his feet, awaiting a pat on the head. They will even rub against his leg and wag their tails.

They learn to recognize the voice of their shepherd as He regularly speaks gently to them and calls them each by name. They follow him because they know he will take care of them.

…are defenseless…

Because they are defenseless, they make easy prey for their enemies and are very vulnerable to fear. With no means of self-defense, their natural instinct causes them to run.

A lone sheep is doomed. Needing protection from predators, they use their herding instinct to stick close to each other for safety and depend on their shepherd as their defense against their enemies, as he uses his staff to keep the sheep in line and within safe boundaries and his rod to ward off the predators.

…are fearful…

As we read last time, where one sheep goes, the rest are sure to follow. So, because they are fearful, if one becomes skittish, the whole flock will stampede easily.

Because of their “sheepishness,” they are even frightened by running water.

…have little discernment as to choosing the best food and drink…

Sheep are stubborn and will insist on their own way, even eating poisonous plants or drinking dirty water. They need constant fresh pasture and fresh water.

Not always aware that they need to drink, they can even be found grazing beside water while in the early stages of dehydration. Because of this, they must be constantly led to clean, still water.

People…

* Are you friendly? Do you become agitated if separated from the group and interaction with others?
* Do you stay close to the flock for comfort, support, and safety?
* Is the Shepherd’s daily touch important to you?
* Can you be found lingering at the Shepherd’s feet?
* Do you recognize the voice of your Shepherd when He calls your name?
* Do you follow the Shepherd knowing He will take care of you?
* Because you are prey for the enemy, do you become fearful or do you trust in and depend on the Shepherd to protect you and fight off the predators for you?
* Do you become skittish, your circumstances frightening you as though they were rampaging waters?
* Are you stubborn, insisting on your own way? Do you lack discernment in choosing where and what you feed your soul and spirit?
* Do you feed on poisonous matter or drink from dirty waters? Do you realize you are suffering a dehydrated spirit, ignoring the fresh waters of the Lord before you?

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21 NKJV)

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

Sheep Series #1

Sheep intrigue me. I started a small collection of little sheep figurines. The ones found in a crèche set. I love them. I place them around a shepherd that looks like he might have been David with a precious lamb wrapped around his shoulders. I always think of him as Jesus carrying me.

The figurines have different looks on their tiny faces and they stand in different positions, some look up adoringly at the shepherd and some graze at his feet. Reminds me of how I place myself at Jesus’ feet.

If we compare sheep’s characteristics with those of humans, we’ll find they are very similar. No wonder Jesus lovingly calls us His sheep.

I thought it would be fun to take the next few posts and look at some of the shared characteristics.

The first characteristic is…drum roll, please! Ta-dah!

Sheep are not very intelligent!

Actually, they are notoriously dumb! They have the IQ of a rubber tree plant! Because of this brain deficiency, they are the only herd-type animal that require a custodian or guardian to give them constant care and supervision 24/7. A shepherd must commit his whole life to watching over his flock.

Because they have a strong instinct to follow a leader, when one sheep decides to wander off, the rest of the flock usually follows, no matter where it takes them. For example, if the lead sheep jumps over a cliff, the others will more than likely follow.

Because of their lack of intelligence, they…

…are not trainable…

They also need constant supervision because they are not trainable. You’ll never see them in the circus doing tricks on command, like the silly image above.

Though they are not teachable, they will do the exact thing that the one in front of them does. For instance, I read that, if you hold a stick in front of the first sheep in a line and it jumps over the stick, the rest of the flock will mindlessly follow suit, leaping over the stick, even when it is taken away!

Because they are not trainable, pain and punishment have little or no effect on their behavior because they have no memory and do not learn from their mistakes. They keep doing the same dumb things over and over.

…will wander off, go astray, and, with no sense of direction, get into trouble.

And since they will senselessly follow the one in front of them, they will all wander off in any direction and probably get into trouble. Therefore, with no sense of direction, if one sheep wanders off and gets lost, the rest of the flock will follow right along, even if the sheep jumps over a cliff.

As people…

Please don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t mean people are as dumb as rubber tree plants, but sometimes I wonder about the things we humans do! Sometimes, I don’t think we learn. We do the same dumb things over and over, going around, as some say, the same ol’ mountain again and again. It takes a while for us to be trained, if at all. If we could just learn a lesson the first time around, we wouldn’t suffer some of the same consequences.

This is why we need a guardian for constant care, just as the sheep do.

We have a strong instinct to follow a leader, but we need to make sure it is the right Leader. We will wander off aimlessly and follow the flock right over the cliff if we do not listen to the Shepherd’s voice and follow His footsteps.

With no sense of direction, we will always pick the wrong way without the Shepherd. We will continue to go astray and get lost.

The disciple Peter recognized that we all need the true Shepherd. Having known Him himself, Peter wrote, “Like sheep you wandered away from God, but now you have returned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:25a TLB)

* Do you repeat the same mistakes over and over?
* Have you wandered off aimlessly and lost your way?
* Or do you listen to the Shepherd’s voice and follow in His footsteps?

May you be blessed with the Great Shepherd’s constant care.

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

She speaks with wisdom…

and faithful instruction is on her tongue Prov 31:26

It’s not always easy to know what the right thing to do or say is.

I manage a forum of over 1,000 people, mainly women, in the Virtual Assistant industry.  The forum is many years old but in recent years I’ve felt the need to bring on board some moderators for a number of reasons – some are on the other side of the world to me and they can moderate messages when I’m in bed asleep.

But there are times when we need to discuss a certain member for not behaving well on the forum or to another member who becomes demanding and insists we do things their way.

Over the past couple of years I’ve had a small number of newer members take exception to an older member and they feel I should be banning her from the list.  I’ve struggled with this particular problem and took it to my moderators for discussion – it wasn’t a decision I wanted to wrestle with on my own.

Thankfully my team of moderators are a group of wise women of varying ages and experiences and each were able to give me their perspective and thoughts on the women involved in this latest conflict. And they were able to help me see things in perspective.

When you’re in the middle of conflict and each side hold what seem to be convincing arguments it’s often hard to see the wood for the trees.  You need to be able to step back and look from both sides, and seek wise counsel.  We can’t always know the answers ourselves.

In the midst of this I had prayed to God for an answer and as if to help put the final part to the answer, this evening a lady I know from another state rang me out of the blue. She manages a network about 12 times the size of mine, but like me, it’s her business, and like me, she has problems with members from time to time. As she says ‘they are human and all have different personalities.  They need to learn to get over it or go without’.

I didn’t know Lyn was going to call me and I had not contacted her about my problem.  I had responded to a newsletter she’d sent out several days ago and it was tonight she chose to ring me and encourage me and just have a chat.  She’d been away interstate and hadn’t seen my email of encouragement to her until this evening.

Isn’t God good? He provided a woman with 12 times the ‘talent’ that I have (see Matthew 25:14-30) to call me on the very day I’d been struggling with a problem, providing just the answer by a woman who could speak wisdom and faithful instruction into my life. Thank you Father!