1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. 1 Peter 5:1-4 (NKJV)

Who are the Elders? Maybe a better question or one that goes along with it is, "What is an Elder?" In various denominations, the concept of an Elder ranges from a position on a church governing board to a position of great responsibility.

Verses 2 and 3 give us a good description of what is required of one who assumes the office of Elder. In a denomination of which I am not a member I have seen what I think is the best response to these words of St. Peter. In this particular Church, when a person is elected to be an Elder, that designation does not end when term of office is up. In addition, the name of that person cannot be placed on a ballot unless the person has shown in daily living the Love of God and the sharing of God’s Love with others. This makes sense to me. A trustee, among other things, takes care of the church property. When the term is up, the duties are handed over to another while the outgoing trustee continues to volunteer to assist. Caring for physical things works well with one person in charge and the task can easily be handed from one to another when terms expire. This is not so when it comes to shepherding.

It is important to remember that when Jesus said, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations" he did not say, "Only Elders, Go." When Jesus said. "Feed my sheep," He didn’t say, "Only Elders Feed My Sheep." If these are true statements, we then have the answer to the question, "Who are the Elders?" Those who have accepted the Call of Jesus Christ to follow Him day by day are the Elders; not for a two or three year term but until the day of entering eternity with God. As a Pastor, as an Elder, as a Child of God, one of the important things that I can do is to oversee the life of one who is either seeking the blessings of a life in Christ or is groping to find the answers to questions that they don’t know how to ask.

Who are the Elders? I am. You are. Let us learn from St. Peter. As St. Peter teaches us, may we be equally caring concerning those our Lord will place in our care. May we take this responsibility and privilege not for just a term but for as long as God gives us the ability to serve Him.

WE PRAY: LORD, help me to understand that not only those who are elected to office are called to bring the Good News of Salvation to others. Open my eyes Lord that I may see and in seeing, joyfully give of my time and talents as you guide me to be the Shepherd who will lead another soul to you. AMEN.

A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTIONS

I have suggested a similar response before. An Elder needs to continue to feed the flock, not just bring them in. There are many people who need the food of knowing that God loves them. You have this food to give by remembering those who are in need of you being a part of their life. This may be a person in a Nursing Home, one who is in prison, a teen or young adult growing up in a confusing world, or even the person who lives next door or down the street. A card, a visit, or anything that says to them that you care will also shout out that God cares.