²⁸”Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

Five profound principles saturate this verse, worthy for every leader to memorize. While Paul explicitly addresses this to elders, all who seek to serve the Lord would do well to integrate these into the fabric of our lives. Our first responsibility is to “guard” ourselves. We cannot guard or minister to others out of weakness in our spiritual lives. Nothing neutralizes or undermines service for the Lord more than failure in one’s devotion to the Lord. Joshua, the great military leader of Israel who brought them into the Promised Land, warned the people, “Take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God” (Josh. 23:11). It all begins with your relationship to God.

The second principle is to “guard . . . all the flock,” that is, the people over whom we have been placed in ministry. That may be our children, our spouse, those we are discipling or teaching in Sunday school, small group members, the music or worship team, or whatever ministry in which we are involved. We have a responsibility to guard others in their spiritual walk (see Gal. 6:1). Ministry is not merely about organizing and leading a project, class, or group, or accomplishing a task of some sort for the Lord. Ministry is about people, protecting and guarding them in their spiritual walk.

Third, we serve at the Holy Spirit’s discretion, by His authority, and we are responsible to Him. While the elders are assigned to be overseers (an extension of guarding the people), we all have different assignments from God. But they all come from God. All other motivations to service should be renounced as infinitely inferior to that which comes from the Spirit of God.

The elders are to be shepherds, caring for and protecting the church. The fourth principle we get from this is that we should be like elders and care for one another. Elders set the example; we follow.

Fifth, the underlying motive in serving God’s people is the price He paid for them, “which He purchased with His own blood.” Paul declared himself “innocent of the blood of all men,” but he did not want to be guilty of the blood of Christ. Elders who do not shepherd faithfully are guilty of neglecting those whom Jesus Christ loved so much that He died for them. We should all take Paul’s charge to heart. God has entrusted to each of us a ministry of service of some sort. How can we do anything but give ourselves fully in loving service to those whom God loves?

Lord, I commit to standing on guard over my soul so I can serve You well.