She walks—the lady of my delight—
A shepherdess of sheep.
Her flocks are thoughts. She keeps them white;
She guards them from the steep.
She feeds them on the fragrant height,
And folds them in for sleep.
She roams maternal hills and bright,
Dark valleys safe and deep.
Her dreams are innocent at night;
The chastest stars may peep.
She walks—the lady of my delight—
A shepherdess of sheep.
She holds her little thoughts in sight,
Though gay they run and leap.
She is so circumspect and right;
She has her soul to keep.
She walks—the lady of my delight—
A shepherdess of sheep.
– “The Lady of the Lambs” by Alice Meynell
Alice Meynell paints a lovely word picture of a pure mind. The “shepherdess” in her poem symbolizes the Christian woman, while the “sheep” represent the woman’s thoughts. Mrs. Meynell points out that thoughts, like sheep, have a tendency to run and leap. As “shepherdesses”, we are responsible for herding our “sheep” in the right direction. We all aspire to do this, but sometimes our shepherding resembles less that of Alice Meynell’s stalwart Shepherdess of Sheep and more that of Mother Goose’s hapless Little Bo-Peep, who “lost her sheep and [couldn’t] tell where to find them“. You know how the poem goes: after Little Bo-Peep’s sheep went missing, she was advised to “leave them alone, and they’ll come home, bringing their tails behind them.” Of course, we all know this lax advice wasn’t acceptable to Miss Bo-Peep; no, she determined rather to go find her sheep and bring them back home where they belonged. She had already made the mistake of losing them in the first place, and she wasn’t going to make matters worse by further neglecting her duties. Just like Little Bo-Peep, we sometimes let our “sheep”, A.K.A. our thoughts, get away from us. If we continue to leave those “sheep” unattended, they will inevitably become food for wolves. And a good shepherdess can’t allow that to happen!
In this month’s article, we will reveal three well-known phrases about “thought” that every shepherdess ought to memorize in order to ensure the safety of her sheepfold. This three-part strategy teaches us to reject poor thinking habits and to continually renew our minds with truth until we just Come to Think of It! Shepherdess, are you willing to learn how to divide the “wolves” from the “sheep” (i.e. divide unhealthy and healthy thoughts)? Are you prepared to strike down any “intruders” (i.e. strike down intrusive thoughts)? Are you ready to purify your “flock” (i.e. purify your thinking)?
If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then you need to start the Come To Think of It process by saying this first important phrase to yourself:
…we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5b
According to the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California, the average brain generates 48.6 thoughts per minute. If you are awake for 16 hours, that’s nearly 47,000 thoughts per day. That’s a lot of “sheep” running around in the pasture of one’s mind! When dealing with numbers that large, there are bound to be some “wolves in sheep’s clothing” that try to slip through the cracks. This is why Paul believed in “taking every thought captive“. At face value, “every thought” might seem like overkill. Yet when we consider how much havoc just one wolf can wreak upon a flock, we begin to see the wisdom of Paul’s message. We have so many “sheep” to worry about, that it would be foolhardy not to have a tight security system in place.
Will a good shepherdess allow just any “sheep” to saunter into her sheepfold? No! If ever she notices a sinister figure creeping in, she will cry out: “Wait a minute! Hold that ‘sheep’! That’s a wolf!” By the same token, will a good Christian woman allow just any thought to take up residence in her mind? No! If she notices a dark thought creeping in, she will cry out within herself: “Wait a minute! Hold That Thought! That’s an unhealthy thinking pattern!” Being able to identify an unhealthy thought is the first step towards cleaning up one’s mind. As they say, knowledge is half the battle! This is why being in God’s word daily is so vital to our Christian walk. The more scripture that we hide in our hearts, the more easily we will recognize when the enemy attempts to infiltrate our psyche. Anytime an unhealthy thought tries to creep in, we can use the security system of our mind (the B-I-B-L-E) to alert of an intruder. Thus alerted, we can take it captive: absolutely forbidding it to enter in, dwell among, and corrupt our “sheep”.
Don’t ever allow your conscience to become “seared…as with a branding iron“. (1 Timothy 4:2) Don’t ever allow your security system to go down!
• If you are tempted to think hateful and bitter thoughts about someone, say to yourself: “Hold That Thought!” That’s a wolf creeping in.
• If you are tempted to think that sinful behavior is not that big of a deal, say to yourself: “Hold That Thought!” That’s a wolf creeping in.
• If you are tempted to think impure thoughts outside of your covenant, say to yourself: “Hold That Thought!” That’s a wolf creeping in.
• If you are tempted to think that no one cares whether you live or die, say to yourself: “Hold That Thought!” That’s a wolf creeping in.
• If you are tempted to think that God has forgotten and forsaken you, say to yourself: “Hold That Thought!” That’s a wolf creeping in.
❝Where there are sheep, the wolves are never far away.❞ – Plautus
Once you learn to “Hold That Thought“, you need to continue the Come to Think of It process by saying this second important phrase to yourself:
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God… – 2 Corinthians 10:5a
Any shepherdess will tell you that a once captive wolf, treated to the “catch and release” method, will keep coming back to the sheepfold again and again. The insatiable appetite of a wolf will always ensure that the predator returns for its prey. I think you know where I’m going with this: it’s not enough to merely catch the wolf. See, in the very same passage where Paul speaks of “taking every thought captive“, he also speaks of “destroying speculations and every lofty thing” (emphasis added). Destroy: to take down, pull down, or break down. To cause something to end or no longer exist. Yes, we must go full “Gaston” on our unhealthy thoughts and “kill the beast“. (Fans of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast will get the reference)
Will a good shepherdess be content to give a captured wolf a smack on the rump and gently admonish him to “adopt an herbivorous diet moving forward“? No! She will totally remove him from her environs, if not from the very earth itself. By the same token, will a good Christian woman be content to shoo away bad thoughts and mentally proclaim, “I don’t want to think about that right now“? No! She will confront her dark thoughts for what they are, and utterly annihilate them. It’s not enough to “banish the thought”, you have to “Perish The Thought“. For just like hungry wolves, if bad thoughts are only “caught and released”, they will return in full force and relentlessly try to break down our defenses until our minds are given over to depravity…until our thinking is so completely deluded that we can no longer tell which way is up. Whenever an intrusive thought pops into your head, it is imperative that you meet it head on, do battle, and strike it down. If you ignore a “wolf”, he’ll come back tomorrow – bringing the whole pack with him.
• If you have identified hateful and bitter thoughts about someone, say to yourself: “Perish The Thought!” Don’t suffer that wolf to live.
• If you have identified apathetic thoughts about sinful behavior, say to yourself: “Perish The Thought!” Don’t suffer that wolf to live.
• If you have identified impure thoughts outside of your covenant, say to yourself: “Perish The Thought!” Don’t suffer that wolf to live.
• If you have identified insecure thoughts about others’ view of you, say to yourself: “Perish The Thought!” Don’t suffer that wolf to live.
• If you have identified doubts about God’s promises and provision, say to yourself: “Perish The Thought!” Don’t suffer that wolf to live.
❝When it comes to a showdown between the shepherd and the wolf, the shepherd will always prevail. The wolf’s speed, brute strength and cunning may give him a brief advantage, but in the end, the shepherd’s genius and organization will triumph every time. Be therefore wary of the shepherd, more than of the wolf.❞ – Jesaja Senones
Once you learn to “Perish The Thought“, you need to continue the Come to Think of It process by saying this third (and final) important phrase to yourself:
…be transformed by the renewing of your mind… – Romans 12:2b
Guarding her sheepfold against predators is one crucial role of a shepherdess. Yet her obligations don’t end there. She must do more than just keep her sheep from being gobbled up. She must nurture her flock; she must lead her sheep, and she must feed her sheep. The same concept is true in regard to our thoughts. We must take unhealthy thoughts captive, yes. We must destroy unhealthy thoughts, yes. But let us not forget that we have a responsibility to nurture our healthy thoughts, too. The same Paul who addressed bad thoughts in 2 Corinthians 10:5, addressed good thoughts in Romans 12:2. Don’t let the familiarity of the passage downplay its powerful message. Renewing the mind is “magical” – it completely transforms us!
Will a good shepherdess lead her sheep to green pastures, let them feast upon good grass, and guide them safely back to the sheepfold? You bet she will! Will a good Christian woman lead her thoughts to high places, let them feast upon positivity, and guide them safely until bedtime? You bet she will! Don’t make the mistake of being so focused on capturing and killing the “wolves” that you forget to tend to the “sheep” in your care. A shepherdess without any sheep doesn’t serve much of a purpose, does she? Likewise, a Christian woman, though she banish and perish her bad thoughts, will be empty indeed if she does not replace these with good thoughts. (If you don’t know where to begin, we are told exactly what kind of thoughts we ought to “dwell on” in Philippians 4:8.) If you have been thinking negatively for a long time, you may feel at a loss for what to think about. But this is like a shepherdess pining for a wolf’s fellowship. Quite a silly way to feel, when she has so many dear sheep to keep her company.
• If you have struck down hateful and bitter thoughts about someone, replace them with thoughts of love and forgiveness. “On Second Thought…” Feed your sheep.
• If you have struck down apathetic thoughts about sinful behavior, replace them with thoughts of godly sorrow over your sin. “On Second Thought…” Feed your sheep.
• If you have struck down impure thoughts outside of your covenant, replace them with thoughts of sensual love for your husband. “On Second Thought…” Feed your sheep.
• If you have struck down insecure thoughts about others’ view of you, replace them with thoughts of past kindnesses on your behalf. “On Second Thought…” Feed your sheep.
• If you have struck down doubts about God’s promises and provision, replace them with thoughts of how far He’s brought you thus far. “On Second Thought…” Feed your sheep.
❝Sheep are creatures of habit; once they know a route, they will follow it until the day they die.❞ – Peter F. Hamilton
In conclusion…
What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. – Luke 15:4-5
In context, this passage is referring to a lost Christian being restored to Christ. But for the sake of our lesson, consider how the same mentality can be applied to our thoughts. When one of our “sheep” gets away from us, we can take one of two attitudes: 1.) We can be apathetic and call it a loss, or 2.) we can take Jesus’ approach and go in search of our lost sheep. Clearly, we shepherdesses ought to adopt the attitude of The Good Shepherd. Every thought matters, just as every sheep matters. When we find our sheep going astray, we must reinforce these three phrases within our minds:
“Hold That Thought” – take each one captive, to identify whether it is a “wolf” or a “sheep”.
“Perish The Thought” – destroy any “wolves”, lest they return another day to consume the flock.
“On Second Thought” – guide your “sheep” with tender loving care, and bring them safely home to rest.
Will you walk as “the lady of [God’s] delight—a shepherdess of sheep“? Like Little-Bo-Peep, your good efforts will not disappoint in the end…
She heaved a sigh and wiped her eye,
And over the hillocks she raced;
And tried what she could, as a shepherdess should,
That each tail be properly placed.
– Mother Goose
For God’s glory,
Mrs. Dustin Bolks
Chaste Bolks is a church of Christ preacher’s wife, and the home educating mother of two children. She and her family currently reside in Northwest Iowa.
