How to Eat Like a Sheep

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth

not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

II Timothy 2:15

 

Biblical literacy in America is at an all time high. Less than half of all adults can name the four gospels and over 50% of graduating high school seniors thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife.  What is even more shocking is that biblical illiteracy is a huge problem within the church. In a recent study, 42% of self-identified Christians said that they had never heard of spiritual gifts.  Only 44% of born-again teenagers could locate the Sermon on the Mount when given four choices.  A whopping 81% of Christians polled believe that the statement, "God helps those who help themselves," is from the Bible.

 

While it would be easy to lay the blame on shallow Bible study materials or inefffective sermons, ultimately the responsibility of learning the Scriptures falls upon our own shoulders.  The Good Shepherd has already provided us with all the good food that we need; we just need to learn how to eat like a sheep.  Unfortunately, most believers spend an average of 7 minutes a day in the Bible.  While this might be enough time for a spiritual snack, it will inevitably lead to spiritual malnutrition.

 

As I mentioned in last week's blog, cattle graze on the grass, eating only the blades; while sheep eat the grass, roots and all.  Only by ingesting the roots can sheep get the minerals and moisture needed for good health.  Since the Bible compares us to sheep and not to cattle, it is important that we "feed" on the Bible all the way down to the roots.

 

While Bible grazing consists of skimming through a chapter or two of Scripture in fifteen minutes, to get to the roots of a passage you must go more slowly.  Plan on ingesting just one verse a day.  For example, let's say that you are going through Ephesians 4. Look at verse 15:

 

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him

 in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

 

We begin with the word, "but," which should remind us of what we uncovered previously in our study of verse 14 and how it will relate to this verse. Then we look at the word "speaking."  Notice that it is not a passive verb, but an active one.  What is it that we are speaking? We are speaking the truth.  Whose truth should we be speaking? There is only one, infallible, unchanging truth; the Word of God. However, there is an additional caveat to that command.  We are to speak the truth in love.

 

Let's stop a second to review.  God is commanding us to speak His truth with love.  He does not place a restriction on to whom we are to speak this truth, therefore we can assume that we are to share the truth with both believers and the lost.  Speaking the truth often means pointing out sin and exhorting righteousness; truths which may come across as harsh.  Therefore, we must be certain before we speak that we have the right motives and that we have the person's best interests at heart.

 

But why does God require us to speak the truth in love? That we "may grow up into Him in all things." This ties in with the previous verse, in which Paul exhorts us to no longer be like children.  Not only is our personal goal to grow in maturity so that we are like Christ, but we are also expected to come alongside our fellow believers and encourage them in their walk. The verse reminds us that our Christian model is Christ, "which is the head."  To model our lives after any other is folly.

 

As you can see, we have used no other commentary than the Holy Spirit, but in just fifteen minutes we have gone down to the roots of the verse to draw nourishment from it. Just look at each of the main words in the verse and let God speak to you through His Word.  If you are really daring, find out the Greek (or Hebrew) word and its meaning using a Strong's Concordance or a website like Blue Letter Bible (www.blueletterbible.com).

 

 As sheep, however, we have still not finished.  Remember that sheep are ruminant animals.  Though we have fed on this verse, we carry it with us throughout the day and, periodically, the Holy Spirit will bring it back up for us to ruminate (meditate) on again.  By this process, we are able to draw every grain of nourishment from the verse and use it to strengthen our faith.

 

Are you truly a sheep?  Then start eating like one.

The Best Part of Being a Sheep

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one

 to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:6

 

 

The Bible frequently draws an analogy between Christians and sheep.  In many instances (such as the one above), the comparison is less than flattering.  After all, sheep have many, less-than-ideal characteristics.  They are helpless and stupid; needing constant care in order to survive.  Sound familiar?  It isn't surprising that our first-century church fathers used the Greek word "shepherd" for the office that we call "pastor."

 

Sheep are gentle and non-aggressive and, therefore, need the safety of the flock for protection from predators.  A sheep that wanders alone will most certainly perish from wolves, injury, or hunger.  However, these timid creatures also tend to have a stubborn streak, resisting even the care of a kind and loving shepherd. Their tendency to follow others blindly can be a danger when they willingly follow other foolish sheep, rather than the Good Shepherd.

 

Despite the many frailties and shortcomings of sheep, there is one characteristic that sheep share that all Christians should emulate: their way of eating.  Sheep, you see, have a very unique style of eating.  While cows merely graze along the blades of the grass, a sheep will eat all the way down to the root. In fact, roots contain nutrients and moisture that are vital to the health and growth of a sheep.

 

To carry this analogy to us, as Christians, we need to look at how we "feed" on the Word.  Unfortunately, many of today's "sheep" are eating like cows; believing that they can get sufficient spiritual nourishment by grazing rather than going deep.  Their "meals" consist of skimming through a chapter in the Bible or gleaning a few truths during the service on Sunday.  Even worse are those whose spiritual diet is centered around "processed food" such as devotionals, inspirational writers, and whatever Christian book is all the rage. Discouragement and stunted growth are just a couple of the symptoms of the spiritual malnutrition that results from this type of diet.

 

Sheep need to feed all the way down to the roots.  That means being immersed in the Word of God.  American Christians have become so dependent on others to feed them, that we have lost the ability to learn for ourselves.  We don't need a famous preacher to explain God's Word to us; the Holy Spirit can do a much better job- plus, we know that He will always be right. 

 

What we do need is a genuine hunger for the meat of the Word.  Unfortunately, when you've been dining on junk food for a long time, it is hard to re-acquire a taste for good, solid fare.  Just ask any junk-food junkie!  However, the time comes when even the most resistant dieter realizes that their present style of eating is killing them and that a change is needed.  If you are looking at yourself today and realizing that you are starving spiritually and that the steady course of watered-down devotionals and sugar-coated fads trying pass themselves off as Bible studies aren't really nourishing you, then maybe it is time for a change.

 

If so, check back next week for some tips on how to begin eating like a sheep.