The Gate

Yep, Sheep Again

I found this photo about a year ago.  I saved it and think of it often.  I had this blog post in mind almost immediately, but it never got written.  But it's always about God's timing.

The caption on the photo tells you everything you need to know.  Hundreds of sheep, one gate, no fence, sheep only conditioned to use the gate. The person who wrote the words clearly thinks that thinking leads to over-thinking, which can lead to just following the leader.  A few sheep used the gate and all the others ignored the fact that they could simply walk into the same field from their position.

I recently wrote another blog about sheep.  You can read it here.  There's a reason sheep are so often used as the symbolic animal of followers.  Sheep don't tend to think for themselves.  If they do, it's to respond in a very stubborn, often detrimental-to-themselves kind of way.  It reminds me of the social climate going on across the globe right now.  Small numbers of people come up with an idea.  They talk, share, protest, yell their opinions.  In doing so, they convince a few more people that what they're saying makes sense.  Those people influence other people and soon there's a large crowd wreaking havoc because they "think" they're doing the right thing.  I won't get into political labels, but I'm sure you can think of at least one group you've seen making the news in your city, in your country. The United States is certainly not alone in suffering from this mentality.  Sheep follow where they are taught to follow.  If no one is teaching them through love, compassion and safety, they will learn to follow out of fear, hate, convenience, pride, or ignorance.

But I love this photo!  Look at it again.

One gate.  No fence.  And yet the sheep all wait to follow through that one gate.  It doesn't matter that there is a wider space available for them to utilize.  It only matters that they know to follow the leader through the gate.

Does that remind you of anything?

Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14 (Emphasis mine)

This picture is a perfect illustration of what our walk with Christ should look like.  It doesn't matter that there's an easier way.  It doesn't matter that there's a faster way.  It doesn't matter that we lead others by taking a different path.  It matters that we go the right direction, to the right gate, following the right leader.

And who is that leader?  Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd..." John 10:11a  "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."  John 10:27

And where does that Shepherd lead?  "Jesus answered, 'I am the way the truth and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6

This picture that I love so much, that I think of so often, represents us!  We know our Shepherd.  He has taught us to follow Him.  He has shown us that we can only go through one gate - Himself.  We are faced with ways to cheat, ways to get ahead, ways to bypass and cut corners.  Sometimes we even take a wrong turn and follow that stubborn, detrimental instinct.  But if we are truly following Christ, we will ignore the chaos around us.  We will ignore the wolves trying to divert our attention to things of opinion and ego and hatred.  We will not follow a lost sheep into the madness of believing the most popular stories being shared are 'the truth' because we already follow The Truth!

As much as the commenter on this photo meant for it to be an insult to a follow-the-masses mentality, I think it's a simple, yet wonderful way to remind ourselves that following doesn't have to be a bad thing.  It's all about who you choose to be your Leader.

If you find yourself thinking it's been a while since you've heard from Him, ask yourself why.  If you find yourself in the midst of following a voice your heart knows isn't full of Truth, ask yourself why.  It will always be because you stopped listening to the Shepherd. I, too, get busy/tired/distracted/lazy and fail to stay close to Him so that His voice is louder than all the noise around me.  But I cannot remain there.  I long to hear Him.  I long to follow Him.  His gate may be narrow, but His fields are the best!  Don't tarry another moment before you commit to returning to the Shepherd Who loves you most.