Would you rather be a shepherd or a sheep?
The Bible implies that we're sheep. Our spiritual sense (if we listen carefully) tells us we're sheep—that we are loved, guided, fed, and protected by God, the Supreme Being. Relying on Him, we see our problems washed away and find ourselves "in green pastures." Ps. 23:2. Material sense, however, tells us that it's much more glamorous to be a shepherd. Sheep merely plod along paths and into pastures selected for them, through gates that have to be opened for them, past dangers they don't even see. Shepherds have to know the territory, keep the sheep moving on schedule, and chase away predators. Obviously, a shepherd's role is more responsible and satisfying.
But the Shepherd role is not ours to choose; it belongs to God alone and to His Christ. Material sense would convince us that we can be our own shepherd, but isn't it really saying "Let me be your shepherd, and I will guide you"? Following material sense turns us into lost sheep.
