An old fable that has been passed down for generations tells about an elderly man who was traveling with a boy and a donkey. As they walked through a village, the man was leading the donkey and the boy was walking behind.
The townspeople said the old man was a fool for not riding, so to please them he climbed up on the animal’s back. When they came to the next village, the people said the old man was cruel to let the child walk while he enjoyed the ride. So, to please them, he got off and set the boy on the animal’s back and continued on his way.
In the third village, people accused the child of being lazy for making the old man walk, and the suggestion was made that they both ride. So the man climbed on and they set off again. In the fourth village, the townspeople were indignant at the cruelty to the donkey because he was made to carry two people.
The frustrated man was last seen carrying the donkey down the road.
My Commentary:
This old fable endures because it tells a truth we recognize immediately: if you try to please everyone, you will end up pleasing no one — and may even lose your way entirely.
The elderly man begins his journey with a simple plan, but with every new voice he hears, his confidence erodes. Each village speaks with certainty, each crowd convinced it knows best. By the end, the man is no longer leading the donkey; he is being led by the noise around him.
The story exposes how exhausting it is to live by constant approval. Public opinion shifts from place to place, moment to moment. What earns praise in one setting invites condemnation in the next. When we hand over our judgment to every passing voice, we surrender something essential: our ability to act with wisdom, integrity, and purpose. Are you and I doing this today with all the stories coming at us in the news?
At its heart, the fable asks a deeply personal question: Who will you listen to? Will it be the loudest voices, the most recent opinions, or the fear of criticism? Or will it be the quieter voice shaped by conscience, faith, and truth?
A life well lived requires discernment. Not every opinion deserves equal weight. Some voices inform us; others merely distract us. When we listen first to what is right — rather than to what is popular — we are freed from carrying burdens that were never meant to be ours. Only then can we walk forward steadily, no longer dragged by the crowd, but guided by wisdom that endures.
Who do YOU listen to? How often do YOU listen to the quieter voice shaped by conscience, faith, and truth?
THE JESUS INSIDE ME IS STRONGER THAN THE DARKNESS THAT THREATENS TO OVERTAKE ME!
Someone you know will greatly profit from today’s message. Please share it. And do listen to my Podcast.
