Not created to carry burdens
Heather pointed it out to me… she said something like, “You can’t live always worried. It’s like you never let it all go for a minute and just be happy.”
The scriptures are full of lambs and sheep and shepherds. When talking about that, people often say that sheep are dumb. I’ve been around farm animals a bunch and am not sure that sheep deserve to be singled out that way. And I’m pretty sure that isn’t why they’re used in exchange for us in the scriptures.
But until recently, I never considered the relevance of the fact that of all the animals that we hear of being used for carrying burdens, like horses, cows, and dogs, its sheep that we are compared to. Sheep, which are unique in the fact that they were not created to carry burdens.
And I think that we should spend more time thinking about how followers of Jesus aren’t either.
That doesn’t mean that we don’t have responsibilities, or that we shouldn’t work hard, or that we shouldn’t care.
We should do our very best to take care of our business.
But I shouldn’t be full of worry about the fact that Heather has to spend time at the laundry mat because I wasn’t able to get the dryer at home fixed, or that the Explorer might break down, or that the cows might get out again, or that our kids might gather wounds that turn into scars that cause grief.
The enemy is here to kill, steal, and destroy. That’s what John said Jesus said in John 10:10. And then Jesus said in the rest of verse 10 and verse 11 that he “came so that they (talking about sheep… and Christians) may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.”
It seems to be that if the enemy can’t steal my salvation, he can sure steal my fruitfulness. And he can sure steal my happiness.
I’ve been reading John over and over again in 2026. And I’ve been thinking about sheep.
I know that I shouldn’t be full of worry.
And I am so grateful to my wife for reminding me that I am. She is such a great gift.