There is this thing in all humans, called “herd mentality,” which is the tendency for people’s behavior or beliefs to conform to those of the group to which they belong. Herd, mob, or pack mentality describes how people can be influenced by the majority.

TRUE STORY:  Here is a great example of herd mentality in action: 

ISTANBUL, Turkey – January 13, 2015.  First one sheep jumped to its death.  Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported.

In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a billowy white pile, the Aksam newspaper said. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned, Aksam reported.

“There’s nothing we can do. They’re all wasted,” Nevzat Bayhan, a member of one of 26 families whose sheep were grazing together in the herd, was quoted as saying by Aksam.  The estimated loss to families in the town of Gevas, located in Van province in eastern Turkey, tops $100,000, a significant amount of money in a country where average GDP per head is around $2,700.

“Every family had an average of 20 sheep,” Aksam quoted another villager, Abdullah Hazar as saying. “But now only a few families have sheep left. It’s going to be hard for us.”

“All we like sheep…”  In the Bible, we are described many times as the “sheep of His pasture” with the Lord as our Shepherd.  But sheep are dumb. My grandpa raised sheep so I observed their behaviors many times.  Sheep follow the one in front of them when the Shepherd is not around—we got that from the story above!  One day, one sheep decided to see what it was like to jump off a cliff.  Can you imagine what the momma sheep might have said, “Baa, just because he jumped off a cliff…”  But I digress—and I’m smiling out loud.  One big sweater at the bottom.  Okay, I’ll stop.

As we read what Jesus says about sheep and goats, describing the behaviors of what a heart for Jesus looks like; we understand more why we are called the “sheep of His pasture”.  Our Sheperd loves it when the “herd” loves Him back, follows Him as He leads, and obeys when He calls them to come and does what is right and good so all will go well for them.

But that’s not all, this perfectly translates to us as followers of our Shepherd, Jesus.  As we obey the Leader of the “herd” as the Greatest Influencer of our lives, we begin to imitate what He does.  We begin to love like Jesus.  We serve like Jesus.  We look not to our interests but beyond ourselves to what others need and then do what we can to help while always pointing the way back to Jesus!  Jesus says when we do something in His Name to help others in need, it is the SAME as doing it for Jesus, Himself!  Wow!

I may be a dumb sheep at times, but I certainly do not want to be a goat!  Wait, what!?

Matthew 25, The Message

The Sheep and the Goats

^31-33 “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

^34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

^37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

^41-43 “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

⁴⁴ “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

⁴⁵ “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

⁴⁶ “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Choose this day whom you will serve,” Joshua 24:15. I think of the stand that Joshua boldly took when God’s people came face to face between two factions—God or the Enemy.  We daily make a stand on our journey here on earth by how we behave.

We have only two choices.  We can choose the One who gives life eternal OR the one who leads us to jump to our death.  It’s our choice.  We must daily choose wisely and prayerfully who will influence us.  We can be dumb sheep who follow whoever is in front of us, or we can follow and imitate the Shepherd, the One and Only who loved us so much He came to save us from our sins. 

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)

Know God—by reading what God says.  Believe in His Son who saves us from death.  Learn what Jesus did to help people in need and reconcile them to God. Then love Jesus back by doing what Jesus did.  By the power of God’s Holy Spirit living in us, we can become influencers for Jesus!

Don’t be a goat-like!  Know that this herd mentality is a psychological phenomenon that significantly impacts human behavior. It occurs when individuals adopt the beliefs, behaviors, or attitudes of the majority in a group, often at the expense of their own judgment or individuality. This behavior can be observed in various aspects of daily life, from fashion trends to investment decisions and even political affiliations—but most of all, we must consistently evaluate how society affects our walk with God. 

Do we affect society or does society affect us individually and as believers in the “herd” called church?  Mmm…

Understanding the principles behind herd mentality can empower us to better recognize and avoid its impact on our lives, helping us to make more informed choices. When we recognize and understand the influence of herd mentality, we can more easily turn from the herd of the world and lean into our uniqueness with Jesus Christ for we are “a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9, NLT

As His sheep, we are sent from Jesus to love and imitate what Jesus did. 

“Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.  The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were awestruck. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”  John 20:19-21

“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3 NIV

May Jesus be the One who influences our lives!

Lord,

I am a sheep who loves her Shepherd.  Thank you for teaching me that with you, “I lack nothing.”  Thank you for “making me lie down in green pastures, leading me beside quiet waters as you refresh my soul.”  Thank you for guiding me along the right paths for His name’s sake.”  “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

“You prepare a table before me right in the presence of my enemies!  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  (Adapted from Ps 23)

In Jesus Name, Amen