Thursday, October 26

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

"5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint[a] elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God's household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." (Titus 1:5-9)

In his pastoral letters to both Timothy (1 Timothy) and Titus, Paul highlights the qualifications for elders for the nascent churches in Ephesus and on Crete.  Paul recognized that these two men would not succeed in shepherding their flocks alone.  Under God's headship and authority, the local church would thrive under team leadership.

Leadership exacts a heavy cost on people.  In ministry, leaders must become involved in multi-dimensional challenges and become deeply invested not just in groups but in individuals. Leaders need consistently to receive strength from the Word and the Spirit, in order to shepherd well.  In addition, as Paul notes, their character and testimony must align so that the Church, as the Body of Christ, may remain pure and radiant like its Head.

I would like to share a thought that came to mind as I reflected on this passage.  While the world encourages us to become deeply invested in success, power, and other worldly goals, it has become much less concerned about character and integrity.  These two virtues have become much more fluid.  For the believer, however, character and integrity are indispensable elements of Christlikeness.  In being remade in His image, we cannot avoid the Spirit's refining fire on our characters.

The world now celebrates slouching and excusing away character deficiencies — unless they become so egregious that others may make hay while lambasting the supposedly deficient.  I sense that, in worldly minds, we don't mind seeing others' character weaknesses; rather, they allow us to reduce our own standards but still remain "better than" our chosen comparison.

Yet, God's calling is clear:  We are to become more like Christ.  His standard is unchanging, for He is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).  In this journey of becoming transformed, we find such great joy and receive the blessing of His presence, so that we may share with others and bring them into His presence.  In reflecting Christ, we will live out the commitments stated for elders above.

How may we invest today so that we may become more like Christ?  Where does this objective fall on your priority list?

Lord God, thank You for refining our characters and making us more into the image of Christ.  Help us to better reflect Him today.  Give us a greater measure of faith and dependence on You and Your Word.  Send Your Holy Spirit so that our minds may be renewed, and our spirits strengthened for today.  We thank You for those leaders that You have placed into our lives, so that we may know You.  To You be all praise, honor, and glory today and forever.  In Jesus's Name, amen.