The Gift of Being Watched Over
I was enjoying a breakfast on my terrace when my phone buzzed. The text from my friend Nathan read, “Are those strawberries?” I looked up and spotted him on a nearby balcony, watching us eat. He and his wife Sarah had just moved into our neighborhood to help plant our church, and apparently, he was keeping tabs on our breakfast choices.
It felt a little awkward. Most of us like our privacy. But that moment reminded me of something we often overlook: we're actually called to watch over each other.
At the church where I serve, our covenant includes this phrase: "I further engage to watch over you, my brothers and sisters, in brotherly love." It seems strange, but we promise to watch over each other. This is the commitment we make to one another.
It’s a biblical commitment. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we're called to "exhort one another every day" so that none of us become "hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." We're told to "consider how to stir one another up to love and good works" and to keep meeting together, "encouraging one another" as we see the day approaching (Hebrews 3:13; 10:24-25).
This isn't passive. The language is intentional, even aggressive. We're meant to pursue each other, to get close enough that we can actually encourage and challenge one another. As Calvin once wrote, "Unless our faith is repeatedly encouraged, it lies dormant; unless it is warmed, it grows cold; unless it is aroused, it gets numb."
This goes against everything our culture tells us. We're trained to keep a polite distance, to mind our own business, and to protect our privacy at all costs. But Scripture invites us into something different: to belong, to be known, to be encouraged, and sometimes to experience loving confrontation for our good and for God's glory.
If we’re to watch over each other, we need to take two steps.
First, we have to let people in. It’s not enough to keep people at arm’s length. We’re called to open up about our struggles, doubts, and the things that cause us embarrassment. It means actually letting people see the parts of our lives that we’d rather hide. You can go too far with this, but in my experience, most of us don’t go far enough.
Second, we have to be intentional in watching over others. I know two friends who were on a prayer call together. One noticed the other seemed off. After the call, he reached out to check in. His friend wasn't okay, and that simple question opened the door to real help. It started with noticing, then acting.
Someone around you could probably use a word of encouragement, a listening ear, or a gentle check-in. Pay attention to those around you. Watch over them, and look for ways to encourage and even sometimes even challenge them when you can.
Yes, it might feel awkward at first, like being spotted eating breakfast from a neighboring balcony. But there's something beautiful about having people who watch over you, and about being someone who watches over others.
It's not intrusion. It's love.
