Sheep or a Lion?

Would you rather be a sheep or a lion?

It’s in our nature to want to be lions, especially men.

Who would want to be a sheep, with dirty fur and herded around by a shepherd and snipped at by a dog directing our every action? But then again being protected from the lion and the wolf and being lead to food and green pasture is pretty appealing.

I am torn between the two, I want to be a bad a** lion kicking butt and taking names but I want the safety and green grass of the sheep. Although, way too often I get tired of eating vegetables/grass and I just want to tear apart some meat.

The bible speaks of us as the sheep of His pasture ^{Psalm 79:13}  giving thanks and praise for the Shepherd of our souls. But it also speaks of His anger against His sheep ^{Psalm 74:1} for going astray ^{Isaiah 53:6}, and for that God laid all our sin on Jesus at the cross, just to get us back in His pasture, to keep us safe and fed and not feed for wolves and lions.

Throughout the scriptures lions tear and rend and take prey. As a man, I  surely like the prospect of that a lot better than a dirty little lamb. That is what is deep down in my soul, I want to be strong tough and victorious. I want to take prey and not be prey. I want to conquer and not be conquered. I want to win and not lose.

Something in me wants to be my own lion or perhaps my own god and king of my own life. Here is where we can win or lose this game of life. Life is an internal thing lived on the outside. We need to be a sheep on the inside and a lion on the outside, not the reverse which is purely playacting.

There are only two parts of scripture that speak of us and lions in a positive light.  Proverbs 28:1 states that the “righteous” are as bold as a lion. I think if we walk in right relationship with God then we are that tough and bold because we are clean and have no guilt before God. The other is also in Proverbs 30:30 and says that the walk of a lion is majestic.

The key I believe is to have the walk of a lion and the heart of a sheep before God.

Solomon said that a living dog is better than a dead lion ^{Ecclesiastes 9:24}.

Back to the man thing, I don’t want to be a dog either but if that is what it takes to win at this life, bow wow!

Here is the thing where us men screw up, living the life of a lion on the inside and a sheep on the outside. we need to flip that script….. 1 Peter 2:25 (we)… were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. We ultimately need to believe that Jesus has our best interests at heart.

Hebrews 3:10 says we (like sheep) always go astray in our hearts.

Our hearts cry should be the cry of the psalmist in Psalm 119:176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.

Funny thing about the words of God, once they have gotten down in our souls they are very hard to shake.

So would you rather be a living dog and a sheep or a dead lion? If I am going to be lead to peace and pasture and live my life for the King and Shepherd of my soul, I say “bow wow” and bahhhh.

Make me the sheep of Your pasture and seek me when I stray.

All the lions in scripture ended up torn apart and dead. Make me a sheep hearted, bold lion for Jesus and then and only then will I get the desires of my heart ^{Psalm 37:3-6}.

I want to want be God’s lamb with the roar and boldness of a lion. I must keep bringing my straying heart back again to the Shepherd of my soul.