1 Timothy 3 is our text for today. We looked at Paul’s writings to young churches last week and the foundation it provided for forming some basic Christian understandings of the life of Christ and what faith in him meant. We have a saying, though, “God has no grandchildren.” That means that for any system to continue, leadership is fundamental to developing the next generation. So it can be seen from titles of New Testament books that some were written to young churches but some were written to upcoming leaders like Paul’s protégé Timothy.
Chapter 3 gives very practical qualifications and advise for selecting leaders. Before reading the text, we might first sit and think of someone we feel is a good model of leadership. Certainly our news majors on this nightly as we critique world leaders, organizational leaders and interview people they respect. Perhaps you might ponder these questions?
- Who do I really respect?
- What would I list as the person’s five outstanding characteristics?
- Who was this person’s number two person in training?
Now you might consider whom you are influencing with your life. What kind of model are you and what characteristics would you like others to see in you? Leadership happens all the time. It is not just reserved for Presidents and CEOs. My son who was about eight years old wanted his hair cut like his “big brother” at boarding school. He spent an hour sprawled on the floor with year books looking for pictures to show me.
Ultimately church leaders need humility for the church belongs to God and people need to be brought back to his leadership because he is the only one who is perfect. In our world today so many children come from broken homes and abusive situations and so good models are really needed. Lord, may others see your influence in our lives and may we draw them to you. Blessings.
On the Way to Wonder 