David rejoiced to say, "The Lord is my shepherd," and in so doing he proudly implied, "I am his sheep."
Still uncomfortable with being a sheep? Will you humor me and take a simple quiz? See if you succeed in self-reliance. Raise you hand if any of the following describe you.
You can control your moods. You are never grumpy or sullen. You can't relate to Jekyll and Hyde. You're always upbeat and upright. Does that describe you? No? Well, let's try another.
You're at peace with everyone. Every relationship as sweet as fudge. Even your old flames speak highly of you. Love all and are loved by all. Is that you? If not, how about this description.
You have no fears. Call you the teflon toughie. Wall Street plummets--no problem. Heart condition discovered--yawn. World War III starts---what's for dinner? Does this describe you?
You need no forgiveness. Never made a mistake. As square as a game of checkers. As clean as a grandma's kitchen. Never cheated, never lied about cheating. Is that you? No.
Let's evaluate this. You can't control your moods. A few of your relationships are shaky. You have fears and faults. Hmmmm. Do you still want to hang on to your chest of self-reliance? Sounds to me as if you could use a shepherd. Otherwise you might end up with a Twenty-third Psalm like this:
I am my own shepherd. I am always in want.
I stumble from mall to mall and shrink to shrink, seeking for relief but never finding it.
I creep through the valley of the shadow of death and fall apart.
I fear everything from pesticides to power lines, and I'm starting to act like my mother.
I go down to the staff meeting and am surrounded by enemies. I go home and even the goldfish scowls at me.
I anoint my headache with extra-strength Tylenol.
My Jack Daniel's runneth over.
Surely misery and misfortune will follow me, and I will live in self-doubt for the rest of my lonely life.
Why is it that the ones who most need a shepherd resist him so? (Adapted from Traveling Light by Max Lucado)
