Acts 20:22-38
Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. The ship which bore him stopped at Miletus. There he sent for the elders of the church at Ephesus and spoke to them some earnest farewell words. He spoke first of his journey to Jerusalem as leading him into suffering. “I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there.” We never know what lies just before us.
Paul did know, however, that he would suffer bonds and afflictions at Jerusalem. Yet this did not deter him from going forward. The incident shows noble heroism. “None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself,” he says, “so that I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus.” His life was valuable only for one purpose, that with it he might do the Master’s will and fulfill his mission. Life is worth living only when it is devoted to duty.
The counsels which Paul gave to the elders at Ephesus are valuable for us today. He first counseled them to take heed unto themselves. We should never neglect our own garden in caring for the gardens of others. The life which concerns us personally and most intimately, the one for which we are immediately responsible, is our own. Other people may need watching, and we may have some responsibility for them, but our first business is to watch ourselves. This is a responsibility no one can lift off us. We should take heed to our own hearts and be sure that they are kept with all diligence. We should take heed to our personal habits. We should take heed to our companionships. Watchfulness has abundant rewards.
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