Are You Content?

     Do you care what people think? Do you try to stay up with the Jones? Do you push your children to be the best so you can be proud? Do you constantly feel you need to stand up for yourself to make sure nobody mistreats you? Do you strive to be the best at everything you do? Do you want the top spot in all you do?
     I wish I could answer ‘no’ to every one of those questions but shamefully I can’t. If I do not keep myself in check, I will fall into finding my identity through others or my job. When I do, I become stressed, discontent, worrisome, and even prideful.
     Sheep are just like us! They have a system of hierarchy within the flock. They obtain dominance by butting. There is usually an old, mean, arrogant, cunning, and domineering ewe that rules the flock and she achieved that spot by constantly butting other ewes and lambs. They can be resting or feeding in a quiet place and she will come over and knock them off their feet by butting them. She insists on the best eating spot and the best resting spot. It is not just her! They all do it and there is a totem pole of dominance.
     Because of this rivalry, tension, and competition for status and self-assertion, there is friction in the flock. The sheep become edgy, tense, discontent, and restless. They begin to show signs through their health by not getting enough rest and losing weight. They have to remain on guard all the time; they cannot lie down and rest in contentment. They must always stand up and defend their rights and contest the challenge of another.
     Once again there is only one thing that stops these foolish rivalries and fighting among the flock and that is the presence of the shepherd. When a shepherd comes into their view, it all stops! All of the games end. They understand that he is in control and that is all that matters. The shepherd will also discipline the butting sheep if they have hurt another sheep or was dominate with another’s lambs. It is not the dominate sheep that the shepherd is pleased with; it is usually the less aggressive sheep. The bottom rung sheep find favor because they are more content, quiet, restful, and humble.
     How many times have you experienced this kind of behavior among the human flock. Regrettably, I have seen this behavior in church after church. It destroys others, destroys the witness of the church, and sometimes destroys the church totally. The only way to alleviate this kind of foolish, selfish snobbery, and rivalry is for the flock to stay focused on Jesus.
    It is a humble heart walking quietly and contentedly in the intimate companionship of Jesus that we can rest, relax, simply be glad to lie down and let the world go by. Are you resting?

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Psalm 23:1-2a

Information taken from the book A shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller