Tuesday, September 10, 2024
We live in a world driven by social media and the cult of the personality, making leadership among God's people very vulnerable to false character traits. The "Instagram® person" often differs from the real person behind the crafted online personifications of greatness, goodness, and genuineness carefully fashioned for public consumption. Today's guidelines for selecting and affirming leaders require us to truly know leaders and for them to know us. We must have more than a person's digital and sanitized online presentation of themselves. We must live in authentic fellowship in a Christ-centered community to know whether they are genuine. We lose something precious by replacing an in-person church experience with an online church experience unless we are part of a close group of believers that meets regularly in our homes. But then, "going to church and Bible class" was sometimes a previous generation's replacement for a close spiritual community we see reflected in Acts [1] and in the "one another" passages [2] in the New Testament. When we are honest, an "at the church building" persona is sometimes not much more genuine than an online one. The only way to know whether a person lives up to the character of Paul's guidelines to Timothy is to live with them in genuine fellowship and community.
God's leaders must have these qualities: [3]
When we look at these guidelines, I think we are often tempted to "dumb down" Paul's guidelines because we fear no one we know will "measure up" to the standards. Paul didn't want these to be disqualification characteristics but rather guidelines to understand necessary godliness. When we find people who approach these standards, we must encourage, affirm, and follow them. Why? Because those who fit these guidelines remind us of Jesus, and Jesus is the One we follow. [4] Notice how the Holy Spirit reminds us of this truth in talking about how to follow leaders:
Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. [5]
Father, thank You for our leaders who share the aroma of Christ [A] as they lead and display the character and manner of Jesus in their lives. Please continue raising up leaders who have righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithful justice. Help us, as Your people, to recognize such people and invite them to be our leaders. Use me, dear Father, to be an encouragement and not a hindrance to these godly leaders. In Jesus' name, I offer You my heart through this prayer. Amen.
![Illustration of 1 Timothy 3:3-5 NLT — [So a church leader must] not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?](https://img.heartlight.org/overlazy/creations/31081.jpg "Illustration of 1 Timothy 3:3-5 NLT — [So a church leader must] not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?")
Together in Christ is a daily devotional that focuses on what Scripture teaches about godly living in relationships.
'Together in Christ' is written by Phil Ware.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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