All We, Like Sheep, Have Gone Astray – Mosiah 14:3-6

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.
(Mosiah 14:3-6, Isaiah 53:3-6)

What strikes me about this passage today is the contrast between the purposeful Savior, willingly suffering on our behalf, and all of us, wandering aimlessly and wondering why He looks so unhappy. The wandering sheep are following their whims, oblivious to the bigger picture and to the needs of the sheep around them, while the Savior sets aside His own desires and His own convenience in order to do for these sheep what they can’t do for themselves.

I want to be less like the sheep and more like the Savior.

Today, I will strive to see the big picture, to be aware of the needs of the people around me, and to set aside my own convenience in order to serve them. I will remember that I most closely follow His example when I do for others what they can’t do for themselves, particularly when the people I serve don’t thank me and may not even be aware that I am serving them.