Who? ME?
Reading in Titus 1:6-9, I came across the criteria required of those in pastoral ministry (overseers, elders), like me. Here they are.
The OVERSEER must:
1. Be blameless (Uhhhm...)
2. Be husband of one wife (check!)
3. Have well-behaved children (work in progress)
4. Not be overbearing or arrogant (I'm the most humble person I know and proud of it!)
5. Not be quick-tempered (very few people have ever seen me mad...not pretty)
6. Not be a heavy drinker (Whoa! Nailed me on that one!)
7. Not be violent (psh, yeah right...)
8. Not be dishonest with money (my wife handles all that, thank you!)
9. Be hospitable (come one, come all!)
10. Love good (the alternative is not good!)
11. Be self-controlled (probably the hardest fruit of the Spirit to get a handle on - because we love ourselves, we love us so...)
12. Be just and upright (my sense of justice needs to be more like God's)
13. Be holy and devout (set apart and devoted)
14. Be disciplined (dang that "D" word!)
15. Believe strongly in the Gospel (how can I NOT?)
16. Encourage and teach the Gospel believed in (I'm trying...)
17. Defend the Gospel - "refute those who oppose it" (not as good at this...)
In all seriousness, this list is pretty comprehensive. How can I attain such standards? I suppose the honest truth is that I cannot. It must be a work of God in me, through me.
Help me live up to this, God. I want to but I need You.
The OVERSEER must:
1. Be blameless (Uhhhm...)
2. Be husband of one wife (check!)
3. Have well-behaved children (work in progress)
4. Not be overbearing or arrogant (I'm the most humble person I know and proud of it!)
5. Not be quick-tempered (very few people have ever seen me mad...not pretty)
6. Not be a heavy drinker (Whoa! Nailed me on that one!)
7. Not be violent (psh, yeah right...)
8. Not be dishonest with money (my wife handles all that, thank you!)
9. Be hospitable (come one, come all!)
10. Love good (the alternative is not good!)
11. Be self-controlled (probably the hardest fruit of the Spirit to get a handle on - because we love ourselves, we love us so...)
12. Be just and upright (my sense of justice needs to be more like God's)
13. Be holy and devout (set apart and devoted)
14. Be disciplined (dang that "D" word!)
15. Believe strongly in the Gospel (how can I NOT?)
16. Encourage and teach the Gospel believed in (I'm trying...)
17. Defend the Gospel - "refute those who oppose it" (not as good at this...)
In all seriousness, this list is pretty comprehensive. How can I attain such standards? I suppose the honest truth is that I cannot. It must be a work of God in me, through me.
Help me live up to this, God. I want to but I need You.