What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
Luke 15:4 (NKJV)
On my desk, I have several pens. I don't count them, but I know them by the difference they have between them, either by their design or by their color. My wife used one and she didn't put it back where it belonged. It was when I wanted to write a note that I realized one was missing. Since my wife was not at home, I started searching all over the house for this missing pen, as if it was the most expensive pen of all.
When I think about my attitude toward this pen and Christ's parable of the lost sheep, I understand how important we are to Him. This parable may not matter to us. But, when we consider God's grace in our lives, we find that it is of the utmost importance. When we sin, the regret we feel can cause us to move away from Christ, and since we are always prone to sin, as we move further away from Him, we will eventually forget our first love for Christ.
The main idea that Christ brings out in this parable is the importance that we have in his eyes. Which means He is ready to run after us if we get lost in this corrupt world. Note that He does not take into account what can cause such estrangement but It is in His interest that the sheep that we are for Him is found. Now, don't you believe that you are important enough to Christ to always be in His presence and not be the missing sheep.
May the grace and peace of God be with you all.