Often in the course of daily life, we can lose sight of what motivates us. Some people get so caught up in "making things happen" that they lose sight of the fact that God wants them to live directed lives rather than driven lives.

By allowing God to be your Shepherd, you will not only learn to fulfill your mission and assignments in life, but you'll also enjoy the journey.

The difference between being driven and directed can be likened to the different strategies that are taken with a flock of sheep as opposed to a herd of cattle.

Because of the more willful nature of cattle, they must be constantly and aggressively poked and prodded with rods in order to get them to move in the right direction. These same tactics, when used on the more gentle-spirited (and typically dim-witted) sheep, are more than likely to foster panic than obedience.

God is our Shepherd (John 10:11), and He views all believers as His precious sheep. Psalm 23:1-2 reveals this. It says, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."

Like a shepherd who gently guides his flock to safe and nourishing pastures, God loves to lead us in the same way.

Even the shepherd's tools mirror the tactics God uses to lead and guide His children. Typically, shepherds use their voices as well as a "crook," or staff, as effective methods of coaxing stray sheep back into the fold.

Like humans, sheep have a tendency to stray when left to their own devices. A shepherd does not use his crook to beat sheep into line, nor does he need to be aggressive with them in order to get them to obey; his staff is reserved for scaring away predators that tend to target wandering sheep.

Instead, a shepherd redirects his sheep whenever they veer outside the safe boundaries of the fold by using his staff to nudge them back into place or to block the wrong path.

A shepherd's voice is also critical in leading a flock. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me..." (John 10:27). The earmark of being directed by God is the ability to hear and obey His voice.

When you sense His nudging you, you can bet that either you have somehow gotten off track, or you've resisted His leading. Remember, God will never force you to do anything you don't want to do—He is not pushy, hostile, or violent. He's a gentleman.

Now is the time to reevaluate the way you are proceeding through life. Are you "kicking against the pricks," like the Apostle Paul did before his conversion, by offering vain and perilous resistance to God's promptings (Acts 9:5)? Or are you yielding yourself to the voice of your Eternal Shepherd?

Purpose to live a directed life rather than a driven one. It will make all the difference in whether you reach a desirable final destination.

First published in the June 2004 issue of
Changing Your World Magazine
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