DAILY WORD 2/3/21
7. A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.
Titus 1:7 NLT
Today’s Passage continues on with Paul’s List of Traits and Standards that he is sending to Titus in the Letter he wrote to him as he was Building up the Church in Crete. He began the work with him and left him to carry on in his absence, and in this Passage, he is giving him the Blueprint to Promoting Leaders within the Church.
Yesterday we dealt with Blamelessness, Fidelity, and Familial Management and Regulation. Today, we begin with Blamelessness once again. We talked about the repetition that Paul employs in his Letters as seemingly redundant but he is actually being purposeful. It is used to Reiterate Essential Points so that they are not forgotten or overlooked. I believe that is what Paul is doing here.
Obviously, he already told Titus to seek out Blameless individuals and as he repeats his point, we can only assume that he does so because it is an important Trait for a Christian Leader to have. One cannot Lead God’s people and have a cloud of condemnation hanging over their heads. It will distract from God’s Message and cause the Church itself to appear coupled together, or associated with their personal issues.
That is not how God Desires His Leaders to behave. To Lead His people, He Wants Virtuous, Irreproachable individuals to Represent Him in the world. We are already fighting against so many negative behaviors as we battle our sinful nature, the last thing we need is to have those we depend on for Guidance mirroring the world and not God.
We have to consider that a Christian Leader is acting as “the Steward of God”, or the Manager of His Household. You wouldn’t want the manager of your business acting ugly out in public any more than God would Want His Leaders acting sinfully. We Represent Him when we take on the mantel of Leadership, we need to act the part.
Paul also mentions that a Christian Leader should not be “Self-Willed”, that is to say, their wills should be Pliable enough so that God can Use them for His Will, and not the other way around. They should also not bend to the wills of others (including their own), only to God’s. This is not as easy as it sounds and unfortunately, this aspect of Leadership may disqualify many individuals, at least until they learn to give God their wills and Follow His Desires.
A Christian Leader also needs to refrain from giving in to their anger, or to be an “even-keeled individual.” There’s little worse than having a Leader that is prone to “fly off the handle” at the slightest provocation. No one wants to follow a hothead. The fact of the matter is, that sometimes when we Lead God’s people, some of them will push our buttons. It is important as a Leader, not to allow them to get a rise out of us, and as those that recruit Leaders, to ensure that those you enlist are of a Calm and Even Spirit.
Not being a drunk can also help if you are Leading God’s people. If I need to explain why, those who are influenced by strong drink, or other mind-altering substances, are given to changes in their unaltered personalities. These changes can cause them to act erratically, unseemly, and without Self-control. This is the exact opposite of that God is Looking for from His Leaders, and therefore, Leaders should never be caught up in those activities.
That is not to say that those that have had issues in the past with substance abuse cannot be qualified to Lead. First, however, they need to be Delivered from their addictions in order to Serve God the way He has Asked His Leaders to. Sometimes it takes the damaged to Minister to the damaged, but first that breakage in the vessel must be repaired before they can be considered viable for God’s Purposes.
Paul mentions that Christian Leaders shouldn’t be Quick to Strike other people. There are obvious legal and civil reasons for this but beyond that, it is a matter once again of self-control. Those that are swift to ball up their fists and attack others tend to have other underlying issues that they need to deal with, and as such, are not the best folks to be put into Leadership Positions.
Again, once these things are dealt with and God has been allowed to Heal the things that led up to those types of actions, anyone can be transformed and became a Tool of the Lord. But until flaws like violence are washed under His Blood, they can have detrimental ramifications, especially within the Church. We’re trying to Guide people toward Christ, not run them away screaming about assault.
The final thing Paul mentions in this Verse is “Not Given to Filthy Lucre”, or not prone to go after the quick buck. That implies a desire to chase after dirty money. Theft, drugs, robbery, or money gained from cheating all fall under this curtain. God will Provide our needs, so; fast money should never be a priority for a Leader in the Church.
It’s great to have enough substance to be able to give a portion of it to others but when money becomes the sole or driving motivation, it can quickly corrupt anyone. This had been proven over the eons of man’s existence. As soon as money dominates the psyche, God is no longer the Focus, and there is only pain and trouble that can come from something like that, especially for those Called to Lead God’s people.
Paul has once again given us all something to think about with this List of Traits and Standards for those that Lead God’s people. If you believe that you are Called to be a Minister for Christ, ask yourself, “How do I stack up against these Traits?” If you find yourself lacking, it may well be time for a reassessment and a reset!
Have a Wonderful Wednesday and Search yourself, so that God Doesn’t have to!
#dailyword
