1-7If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he's talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God's church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap. (The Message)
Leadership in the church comes only with transparency. It isn't that people need to know all the details of a persons life, their history, and their thoughts but that leaders exhibit a consistency that is seen in everything that they do with their families, in their businesses, in their social interactions. When I am considering others for leadership positions as well as those I choose to give leadership roles to in my own life I spend only a part of my time looking at the results they have achieved. I also look at the way they treat others especially those who will never have an impact upon their goals. How they talk about people in their lives and what they have learned from others is important to me, both the good lessons and the bad. I have come to know that a good leader is made in the little things of life and that a good leader is the same when there are no crowds around them as they are in front of the crowds.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- What do you think about Paul's list of leadership qualifications?
- What do you look for in a leader that might be different from Paul's list?
- When you know of someone in a leadership position that is having problems with one of these areas that Paul lists what is your response?
- What part of your life do you need to become more consistent that God might be able to use you in a position of leadership?
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