“An overseer must be . . . loving what is good” (Titus 2:8).
A man’s heart is revealed by what he loves. Whatever a man loves becomes his passion, the thing to which he ascribes great value, from which he derives great pleasure, and for which he will labor long and hard. Such will dominate his thoughts and motivations, and will determine his priorities.
A good man loves what is good (Prov. 21:15 ), while an evil man loves what is evil (Prov. 1:22; 2:14; 10:23; 15:21).
Implicit in Paul’s words is the assumption that the elder loves what is truly good, not just what is represented as “good” by Satan, the flesh, or the world. (We need only recall how Satan deceived Eve regarding what was good.) How, then, can one discern for certain what is truly good? The ultimate standard of “good” is God (Ex. 33:19, Matt. 19:17), so good must be consistent with His nature.
In Philippians 4:8 Paul lists the good things on which our minds should dwell. Micah says it clearly: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, NASB).
All Christians are instructed to be devoted to that which is good (Rom. 12:9; Phil. 4:8), so the elder is to serve as a model for others to follow.
Our Lord is the Good Shepherd (Ps. 23; John 10:14), and every elder is a good shepherd as he imitates Christ in shepherding the flock of God. The elder who loves what is good will lead others to love and pursue what is good, and will seek to turn them from that which is evil.