At one point I was in the business of setting up accounting software used in inventory management. The Cost of Goods Sold calculation had a factor called “Normal Spoilage” which was set at 2 out of every 100 units in inventory. That 2% was always written off in the profit calculations as either being lost or unsellable goods.
In the parable of the lost sheep, in Luke chapter 15, Jesus asks, "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?" If that shepherd was using standard accounting methods, no he wouldn’t because that one lost sheep was already factored into the “Normal Spoilage” calculation for his flock. That sheep could be safely “written off”. Jesus is obviously not a fan of this standard accounting method, for in the rest of the parable he says, "Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."
If one of us, as an independent modern person, was that lost sheep we might say, “Who needs a shepherd anyway? I can manage my own life by my self”. There is the temptation to believe that we can project manage our own life and make it meaningful totally on our own. Remember though, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8. In this case your spoilage rate will be 100%. Your chances for survival grow exponentially by being part of a flock. We are made for relationship.
So, whose inventory are you in just now? The systems of this world all offer to feed you on their brand of meaning and purpose (shepherd you). So, a bit of due diligence, on your part, may be in order. Ask those systems what their normal spoilage rate is. If you find out that the possibility of your suffering and death, your being written off, is already pre factored into their calculation of using you as part of them doing their business, you might want to start looking for a better-quality shepherd. I can give you the name of one who comes highly recommended and uses a 0% normal spoilage rate for the souls under his care!
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