Ever feel like a shepherd?

In the gospels of Matthew and Luke both writers give us some of the detail of what took place on the night of Jesus's birth. The shepherds, as I mentioned in my message on Sunday, were the lowest of the low in society at the time. Hopefully you and I don't feel like the lowest of the low in our society but sometimes society can turn the tables on us rather quickly and we suddenly feel like we are the lowest on the food chain. Although many counselors and therapists will go to great lengths to encourage us that the only way this can happen is if we let it, I would have to take issue with that. We are all shaped by our upbringing and by those who influence us, however, that doesn't mean that we are defined by our upbringing. That's like saying because you were born in poverty don't ever expect to get out of poverty because it just won't happen. Fortunately we live in an enlightened age. At least more enlightened than they did in the days of Jesus. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that we shouldn't allow life apart from the influence of Christ to determine who we are and who we desire to become. Jesus's destiny was pre-determined by His Father. He wasn't bitter about this, rather He embraced His destiny and allowed God his Father to plan his life for Him. Are you allowing God the Father through Christ to direct your life. Are you and I willing to allow God to awaken in us what He desires for us to be passionate about? I trust that you can trust Him that much with yor life. I'll be praying that you will discover that He desires for you!