Be on Guard

Today's Reading: Leviticus 22: 31-33 & Acts 20

Scripture:
"Be on guard…" Acts 20:28

Observation:
In any situation you have to know the detail of your order. It is not enough to be told just guard something, you must be prepared.

Professional security forces, police, and soldiers are all trained extensively to know what they are guarding against. It is critical that this training take place. They have to know the threats, understand the risks, and identify potential enemies.

The same truth applies to me this morning. It is not enough to know that I am supposed to be on guard. I have to know what to guard against. This morning I see four things from Acts 20 related to this.

Application:
First, I need to guard my mission. It is so easy to miss this part. Many things in life fight for my attention and the probability of me getting off task is high. I must stay in tune with the leadership of the Holy Spirit in my life, bind myself to completing the task given to me, and surrender the desires of my life to pursuing the thing given to me by God to complete.

Second, I need to guard against is shrinking from the truth. I have to know the Word. It is essential. It is the base building block. If I am not spending time daily pursuing God's truth then I am useless to the mission. I can only stand firm on the things I truly believe. I must be on the alert and ready to speak out when given the opportunity. This is hard for me. It is often very tempting to candy coat things or to just shrink back out of fear or embarrassment.

Third, I must guard against getting snagged. The world is alluring and sin is fun. I can say all sorts of things about the wickedness of life, but I am not being honest if I deny that it is pleasurable. If I do not constantly guard myself against coveting things others have, seeking profit, or fearing loss; I will quickly find myself back in the bottom of the same ole pit.

Finally, I must guard against losing my flock. Of all the things given to me by God none are more valuable than the people He has entrusted to me. My family, my friends, my staff, and my congregation all count on me to be accountable for protecting them from false teaching, destructive behavior and low morale. I must be a good shepherd.

Prayer:
Living by the rules does not do anything for me. I despise rules and do not posses the ability to stay with them. On the other hand, living with a solid grasp of a purpose or mission excites me beyond imagination.

I pray today that You fill my heart and mind with the truth You have revealed to me. Help me to grasp it with all that is within me. Teach me to connect with the Holy Spirit in a manner which will compel me towards my mission. Protect my life from the things designed to destroy it. Guide me to make Holy choices today in all that I do.