Like Sheep Among Wolves

Emptiness. Anger. Hate. Intolerance. Envy. Jealousy. Resentment. Depression. Feelings of Worthlessness. A hurting heart.

Everyone has felt these emotions at one time or another. Just look around. I know I’ve had good times, and I’ve had bad times. Some days shine bright, other days the storm clouds roll in. And so goes the circle of life.

But what is our true, individual path? If we want a life full of hope where we can be excited about our life, then what kind of a life do you think would bring you joy and satisfaction? I believe to discover this we must first start at the beginning…on the day you were born.

Everything and everyone also has a beginning when things begin going awry. And that is the point where we must discover the root of the problem.

Emptiness. Anger. Hate. Intolerance. Envy. Jealousy. Resentment. Depression. Feelings of Worthlessness. A hurting heart.

Do You Feel As Though Your Life Is Broken?

Have you lost hope in your current situation? Do hours turn into days, days into months, and months into years? Do streams of negativity flow like a river through your life and leave you with a sense of hopelessness? I’ve been there. We all have.

If this is where you are, take a deep breath, step back, and put on a fresh set of lens. Begin thinking differently and get a new perspective. Take one step at a time. No one can change your situation, but there are those who care. Maybe we’re not aware of those who care. Maybe we’ve never met them, but maybe they’re there silently praying for you.

When did your life take a turn for the worse? Hopefully, you’ll be able to peel back some layers and find the root cause of your dilemma.

When I looked back over my life, I discovered that sometimes my greatest obstacle was me. But when we decide to let go of the past, which is so totally hard to do, then we can start working toward changing our situation.

If your life is broken, it's time to let go of the past… Click To Tweet

What I’m Not…

I’m no scholar, no college professor, I have no Doctorate degree, and I’m not an ordained minister. I don’t pretend to be any of these, but I have experienced trials as we all. And those trials help to strengthen us so that we can be a vessel for God. We can all learn from our mistakes, and I believe this can be one of the keys to success.

Sometimes unexpected things happen. Life gets hard. Sometimes we get kicked around, get our hearts trampled by someone else’s thoughtless words or an unkind deed. And sometimes people can be so disrespectful.

I’m working on a YA/Adult political mystery, but things aren’t right between a mother and her daughter. And as the political and social darkness covers the land, one of my main characters discovers that a darkness has clouded her relationship with her mother. Rylee, the daughter, gets elected to the House of Representatives and discovers some secrets. How she chooses to deal with them will determine how she chooses to deal with her relationships. Relationships matter. We need people. We need family. And this is my goal for this book.

This Thing Called Life…?

We are all here for a purpose, and everyone’s purpose is different and unique. We’re all in this together, and we need God first and foremost if we’re going to walk through our life successfully and in a healthy way. We also need our families, as well as true friends who are willing to love us enough to walk along side us without judging, and to help us when we fall, and to be the first ones to lift us up and encourage us. In return, we need to be there for others and help them get back on track when we see them struggling.

Circumstances can either help us become a better person, or we can choose to allow them to overtake us. We should always decide to choose the path that will help us to become the best we can be.

If you’re going through a difficult situation, you’re not alone. If you’re suffering, you’re not alone. If you feel there’s no hope, you’re not alone. But realize that there is always hope.

Hope for the Hurting

The world offers us false hope… a false sense of security. Only God offers us genuine hope. He can help us through each process of our life by tearing down walls, one brick at a time. You’re familiar with the names on the bricks. You read them at the beginning of this post: Emptiness. Loneliness. Anger. Hate. Intolerance. Envy. Jealousy. Resentment. Depression. Feeling worthless. A hurting heart.

Life is a journey. You can be healed from your past. You can live an abundant life, but you have to want to. I used to believe that an abundant life was for everyone but me. But this was the lie I believed. An abundant life is for me, and it’s for you, too.

Are you ready to begin your journey? Are you ready to change what hasn’t been working in your life? If so, take a step onto a clean canvas and write a new beginning. The process can begin now. And as you travel down this path, your journey will begin when you realize one key element: discovering your purpose.

More of Jesus. Less of Me.

A darkness covers our land like a blanket, and it’s smothering America. Social media is a big contributor to this darkness because it has hijacked the way we think, feel, and act. Our lives have become so entrenched beneath this cloud of darkness that the light has become foggy.

Have you ever wondered how we got to this point? It’s been growing and simmering over the years, but this is what I believe has been happening…

There are wolves and there are sheep in this world. The sheep have been asleep. They’ve allowed the wolves to creep in and pillage our cities, towns, and villages. Isn’t it time for the timid sheep to wake up, open their sleepy eyes and realize that the wolves can no longer be ignored? They must be driven out of our towns.

Like Sheep Among Wolves

Wolves are social animals that travel in packs and each pack has a leader called the alpha male. They are nocturnal; they sleep in the day and roam at night seeking their prey. They are carnivores: they only eat meat. They are stronger in numbers but are cautious creatures. They evaluate their situation before leaping into action.

To make an analogy, human wolves roam our country, too, disguised as social media, politicians, college professors, elementary teachers, etc., and they seek to attack the sheep—chew us up and spit us out, if you will. They prey on sheep who are sick and weak. Those who haven’t the strength the fight pays a heavy price. Like real wolves, they are scavengers—an animal or organism that feeds on dead organic matter—and they don’t stay in one place too long. They’re known to travel up to twelve miles a day, but in this case, they can travel the world in the blink of an eye through our modern means of communication. They communicate by howling, barking, growling, and whining.

The Need for a Shepherd

On the tender side of the animal kingdom are sheep. Sheep must rely heavily on their master—The Good Shepherd—to take good care of them. A shepherd works hard to protect his sheep because he knows the dangers that lurk.

Sheep need endless attention and the utmost care. If they fall down and roll over on their backs, which is easy for them to do if they’ve not been sheared, their master must run to their aid, pick them up, and set them on their feet because it’s impossible for sheep to get up on their own in such a circumstance and will eventually die if not rescued. This is what a cast down sheep is. They flail their legs, bleat, and fight to right themselves, but if their master doesn’t rescue them in time, gas collects in their four-compartment stomach, eventually suffocating them. Some shepherds, however, go to great lengths to provide their flock with the best of everything; plentiful grazing, green pastures, unlimited water sources, keeping pests away, etc.

There are other managers who do little to care for their flock and as a result, the flock suffers and flounders among the thorns. When a shepherd neglects his sheep, or doesn’t keep a vigilant watch, they can fall prey to wolves, dogs, cougars, or rustlers.

Sheep Are Pretty Much At The Mercy Of Their Keepers.

It’s important to note that we are like sheep. We can become easily distracted and unaware of what is going on around us as we rifle through our day to day lives. We live in our own little pastures, feeling safe and secure in a ravenous world as we graze on the green richness of God’s blessings. But there are wolves prowling about trying to find a way to attack.

These wolves are not just at our back doors or looking through our fences, they’ve broken down the gates to our communities and are roaming free, seeking those whom they can devour. These are our true enemies, and we are their prey. They have crossed the line and are filled with fury and rage because they are hungry for our souls. They’ll not stop until they’ve devoured us. Their mission is to seek and destroy.

Where Does Their Appetite Come From?

Hate. Hate kills. Hate lies. Hate slanders. Hate harms. Hate destroys. Hate corrupts. Hate causes public discourse. Hate hates. Hate hates anyone who disagrees with it. Hate hates law and order. And most of all, hate hates Christians, God, and Christianity.

We all need a shepherd. Click To Tweet

Hate Hates Everything Good and Righteous.

They hate because they have an appetite for power and control, and it bursts forth from the hearts of a dark reservoir that have already been stolen by the wolves because they didn’t have the Good Shepherd, therefore, they weren’t strong enough to stand and fight, and they were overtaken by the enemy.

Hate devours those who stand in its way. Hate overtakes unsuspecting souls as it conquers its prey. Hate will pounce, attack, and kill. And our enemies’ hatred can never be quenched until the love of Jesus Christ enters their hearts.

Hate’s prey are those who aren’t paying attention to the world around them.

As I said earlier, I’ve always believed that if we don’t get to the root of the problem then we won’t be able to solve the problem because it’s at the root that gives the tree its strength. The root system must be strong if the tree is to survive. When we search and discover the root of our problem, then we’re better able to work toward solving it, and Jesus will help us.

In closing, I’m reminded in Psalm 23 that Jesus is our Shepherd. David knew well who his Shepherd was, and he depended on Him for strength and courage to go through “the valley of the shadow of death.”

We must do the same.

Are there wolves prowling about your life, waiting to pounce?

How Do We Overcome?

Wolves prey on the weak. We overcome by staying in God’s Word. By praying. By talking with other Christians. And by being around those who love and care for us the way Christ loves and cares for His church. We must not give the wolves the opportunity to wreak havoc in our lives, and if there are others who bring you down more than lift you up? Keep some distance from them until you are strong enough to really help them.

I pray we can stand strong with a shield and sword in hand and keep the wolves at bay. God’s grace will help us through if we lean on the Good Shepherd.

We would love to hear from you. Please share anything that is on your heart in the comment section below because after all, we’re all in this life thing together.

~Blessings

Jesus is known as the "Good Shepherd," but is he your shepherd? Click To Tweet

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