{"id":247,"date":"2012-10-31T19:01:34","date_gmt":"2012-11-01T00:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=247"},"modified":"2012-11-02T19:07:26","modified_gmt":"2012-11-03T00:07:26","slug":"prime-directive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=247","title":{"rendered":"Prime Directive"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cSo when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, \u2018Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?\u2019 He said to him, \u2018Yes Lord, You know that I love You.\u2019 He said to him, \u2018Feed my lambs.\u2019\u201d John 21:15<\/em><\/p>\n

In the imagined universe of Star Trek, the United Federation of Planets has one guiding principle: \u201cThere can be no interference with the internal development of alien civilizations\u201d. This is known as the Prime Directive, and the series\u2019 popularity made this term commonplace.<\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019m no Trekkie, but I can appreciate a good imagined universe. Here\u2019s mine:<\/p>\n

In my universe Christians are referred to as sheep because of their gentle and loyal nature. They aren\u2019t territorial and they strongly prefer to stay close with the other sheep. In fact, they become stressed when they are separated from the flock. They are quick to follow a leader, believing he has their best interests at heart until he gives them a good reason to believe otherwise. Some perceive this as a lack of intelligence, but it is actually quite wise.<\/p>\n

Sheep are abundant producers of wonderful commodities the world desperately needs, such as, wool and lanolin. They often make the ultimate sacrifice of death, giving their flesh for food and their skin for covering. The sheep who are the highest producers of wool don\u2019t gather their friends to form a board and file 501c3 paperwork so they can herd the other sheep. No, they are content being sheep. They are happy to produce abundantly for the Master.<\/p>\n

The shepherds are few compared to the number of sheep. They are very special servants whose job it is to furnish the sheep with everything they need to produce goods for the marketplace and make a profit for the Master. The shepherds defend the flock against predators. They lead the sheep to green pastures and still water. They do not fleece them for their own profit. The shepherds recognize they don\u2019t produce the same commodities as the sheep, and their contribution lies in their care for the flock. The sheep understand the shepherds don\u2019t produce wool and food and clothing. That\u2019s the flock\u2019s job.<\/p>\n

The shepherds love the sheep because they understand the Master\u2019s wealth is tied up in the flock. The shepherds love the Master, and for this reason they give their lives for the sheep, in life and sometimes in death.<\/p>\n

In this imaginary universe, Christians don\u2019t strive to become like sheep. The comparison rises organically because of the traits they share. To the extent possible they lead quiet, peaceable lives. They flee from evil, but if cornered they will not yield to a predator. They rely on the Master\u2019s help. They protect their young.<\/p>\n

John, that beloved apostle, recorded three times that the Lord asked Peter if he loved Him. Each time Jesus gave Peter a Prime Directive. Feed My sheep. Care for My flock. Feed My lambs.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great Prime Directive. One that can be appreciated by every shepherd, every single sheep, and every little lamb.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Melissa Kay Simonds<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cSo when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, \u2018Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?\u2019 He said to him, \u2018Yes Lord, You know that I love You.\u2019 He said to him, \u2018Feed my … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Mo02-3Z","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":262,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=262","url_meta":{"origin":247,"position":0},"title":"Center of the Universe","author":"lsimonds","date":"January 31, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cHe has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.\u201d Ecclesiastes 3:11 One summer night, sometime during the 1960s, my cousins and I lay stargazing on the front\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2013"","block_context":{"text":"2013","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":106,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=106","url_meta":{"origin":247,"position":1},"title":"Who Do You Think You Are?","author":"lsimonds","date":"October 1, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cTherefore He says, when He ascended on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men\u2026And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers\u2026\u201d Ephesians 4:8,11 Dallas Morning News columnist Marilyn Schwartz did a delightful article years ago about what it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2003"","block_context":{"text":"2003","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":283,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=283","url_meta":{"origin":247,"position":2},"title":"You’re Not That Lost","author":"lsimonds","date":"April 30, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201c\u2026for in Him we live and move and have our being\u2026\u201d Acts 17:28 A friend and former colleague died suddenly and violently in April. The first time I met him, years ago, he held the highest position in our organization. He visited us while we were working in the field\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2013"","block_context":{"text":"2013","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":529,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=529","url_meta":{"origin":247,"position":3},"title":"The Tell","author":"lsimonds","date":"January 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cAnd the\u00a0Lord\u00a0sent\u00a0Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, \u201cThere were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.\u00a0\u00a0The rich man had very many flocks and herds,\u00a0\u00a0but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2016"","block_context":{"text":"2016","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=16"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":312,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=312","url_meta":{"origin":247,"position":4},"title":"The Road Not Taken","author":"lsimonds","date":"September 30, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The Lord of Hosts has sworn, saying, \u201cSurely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand: That I will break the Assyrian in My land, And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2013"","block_context":{"text":"2013","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":966,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=966","url_meta":{"origin":247,"position":5},"title":"The World According to…","author":"lsimonds","date":"February 25, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"There's a saying about being in a room that's so small you have to step outside to change your mind. That old saw pretty much sums up the theme of the speech, This is Water, that David Foster Wallace gave to the graduating class of 2005 at Kenyon College. 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