Pastors, elders, and overseers (4)

If you would like to pray for your church leaders, then Titus 1:5-9 gives us at least 4 areas where they need your prayers. Here's the third area that can be a prayer focus...

I will pray for my leaders’ character.

The list of qualifications is awesome. It's consists of things that a pastor/elder/overseer is not. And it consists of things that a pastor/elder/oversee is. As I read through the list here in Titus, I was left thinking, “Maybe I should hand in my resignation right now!”

But one leader said, “Don't be discouraged as you work through this list. No one meets these qualifications 100%! We're not looking for perfection, but rather solid evidence of growth in each area.”

"For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined" (Titus 1:7-8, ESV).

You can be considered good at some jobs even if you have bad character. If you can hit a baseball well or sell houses well or performs surgeries well, it doesn’t really matter is you are cheating on your wife or cheating on your taxes. But character counts in leading the church of Jesus Christ.

Remember that this is an aspirational list. No one lives like this 100% of the time. Paul sets before us a worthy goal--which most of us will work on for a lifetime and still not completely reach. We ought to take this list seriously but also graciously and realistically.

This list is not meant to depress us, but to inspire us to grow.

A veteran 75-year-old missionary assessed his own life in light of this. His evaluation: "I'm above reproach, I'm the husband of one wife, I'm free from the love of the money, I don't linger over wine..." Then he paused for along moment and said, "But I could use some work in the rest of the areas."

Ask yourself, "If he would say that, what about me?" As you survey this list, you may see 5 or 6 areas of strength, 7 or 8 areas of growth, and 4 or 5 areas that need real work.

It's okay to say, "I can't meet those qualifications now." But go on to say, "By the grace of God, that's the kind of person I want to be." What God wants is not perfection, but growth.

Good churches have good leaders with good character. Pray for them.