The tension between being pharisaical or respectful

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 3:14-16 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.

Application: Conduct: to act in a particular way that expresses general character, state of mind, or response to a situation or other people. In our desire to emphasize that God accepts us the way we are, which is true, we have forgotten that we still represent Him at all times, including at our local assembly. Notice, I said, “including”, not “especially”. I have no patience for those that only put on their Christianity when they attend their local Body. Jesus made it clear that to look clean on the outside is worthless unless the inside matches. However, in our age of “flaunting” our individuality and liberties we have seemingly lost the understanding that the way we conduct ourselves, including at our local Body, shows a lot concerning our thoughts toward You, Father. I spoke to some Hindu Priests and they were appalled with the way we treat our “holy book”. They are very respectful and treat with reverence their “holy” writings. 

I don’t believe our Bible glows and is some mystical object that needs to be worshiped, that is idolatry, but we can be quite careless at times with our behavior when it is not helpful or necessary. I believe it is great to write notes in your Bible, and if someone finds that irreverent, I would tell them not to write in their Bible. However, when someone gets in your car and there on the floor with the rest of the trash is your Bible, what do you think his or her conclusion will be about your attitude toward what you call the Word of God. I don’t want a dress code at the local Body, or to treat the building as though it is the temple of God. It is not, we are! Yet, should we approach our time in corporate worship in the presence of our Father, in a sloppy and careless way? Should we look like we just got out of bed, dress like we are about to do some dirty job, treat where we meet like it is a cafeteria? If you knew me you would know I am not hung up on any of this stuff, I preached in Hawaii for years, which is very laid back. I don’t care about this outward stuff, but the world does and I wonder what message we send by our behavior. Our outward behavior does show what is in our heart, how we truly feel about our Lord, fellow believers, etc. Did not God come to where we are to reach us? Should we not do the same to reach the unbelieving of this world. No matter how relaxed your culture is, when you identify with it you can still communicate a special respect and honor in how you approach our Lord, so they can see that He is God, not just a “superstar” that you idolize but don’t take so seriously. Even secular news people treat issues of other religions with respect partly because of the way those they interview express their respect for that religion. I know the world will criticize Christianity with no help from us, but when you see what they see, when they interview us, we add to a lot of the problem. Let us seek to honor God the way He deserves. If the world still attacks, at least it will not be based on how we have behaved!

Meditation Questions: How do you show respect for something important to you? Why? When we are concerned about how we look at church, what is the danger? When we don’t care what we look like at church, what is the danger? We agree that what matters most is what God thinks, but does that mean we should not be concerned at all about what the world thinks? Why? Why not? 

The “Church” makes a BIG difference in a community.

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 3:14-15 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; ¹⁵ but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

Application: Today, many children of God treat the local assembly as a non-essential in their lives. It is true that the “Church” is not a building; we (believers) are the Church. Our physical bodies are therefore God’s temple. However, it is clear from Acts that God led Paul and Barnabas to go out into the world, city by city, and set up local assemblies of believers. These brethren met together in homes, because a “church” building would have not been allowed. In God’s timing He allowed the Body of Christ to observe some time of no persecution for the most part and historically we know, buildings were allowed to be constructed. There is no debate that man has taken this too far, which is what we always do because we are fallen. The building has become too important many times. Even so, God chose to use those local assemblies to impact their society. The Body of Christ needs to continue to do so until the Lord stops it. What is happening today is not the Lord stopping it, but believers becoming selfish with their time and making excuses to “just worship at home.” We should worship at home, but we should also make sure “not to forsake the assembling together of ourselves”! (Heb 10:24-25) The words employed by the Spirit here to describe how important the church is are quite revealing.

Consider: “the pillar and support of the truth.” Pillar – στύλος stúlos; A pillar or column which stands by itself or supports a building. Figuratively, any firm support, persons of authority and influence in the church (Gal. 2:9; Rev. 3:12); of the church as that which upholds the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). Support - ἑδραίωμα hedraíōma; to make stable. A support, stay, ground, basis, foundation (1 Tim. 3:15).^[1]

In 1 Tm. 3:15 the ἐκκλησία (Church) is called στῦλος (pillar) καὶ  (and) ἑδραίωμα (support) τῇς ἀληθείας (truth) . A Church is established which protects and defends the truth against the confusion of myths. It gives the faith and thinking of individuals a sure ground in confession. No longer God alone, but also the Church of God, now guarantees the permanence of the ἀλήθεια. The steadfastness of faith has now become loyalty to the Church and the confession.^[2]

Without “Truth” society is doomed! WE – the Church – need to be actively involved and SEEN in our community. We possess all the power required to impact our society, God has equipped us, we cannot ignore that stewardship because we desire more “leisure time”. Father help us!

Meditation Questions: Do you look forward to fellowshipping with others? Why? Why not? What is the reputation of the “Church” in your community? Do you think it is fair? If so, why? If not, why? What could you do about it? Do think it is important to worship God corporately? If so, why? If not, why? When someone you know that is not a believer attacks the church, what do you do? What should you do? Is thee a difference?

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^[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary : New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

^[2] Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964- (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Confidence in the faith, comes from faithfulness

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 3:11-13 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Application: Notice as Paul comes to a close on the qualifications of an office in the Body of Christ he points out the benefits that are produced through faithfulness. First, note there is nothing here to do with salvation. The idea that anything we do guarantees or adds to our eternal standing with God is contrary to all that is taught about salvation in the scriptures. It's total grace, void of works. The outcome is twofold; first being, the honor the Body of Christ will bestow on those that serve faithfully. It is important that we understand that the "title" is not what causes the person to be held in "high standing". It is being faithful in the ministry of that "title" that brings the respect and honor to that individual. Second, is a confidence that what we preach is true and therefore we speak with boldness. Remember, boldness is not obnoxious! Our words remain filled with grace, but we say things based on their truth, not our skill. Consider the original here:

Confidence παρρησία parrēsía; from pás, all, and rhḗsis, the act of speaking. Freedom or frankness in speaking. NT meanings: freedom in speaking all that one thinks or pleases (Mark 8:32; John 7:13, 26; Acts 4:13, 29, 31); confidence or boldness, particularly in speaking (Acts 2:29; 28:31; 2 Cor. 7:4; Eph. 3:12; 6:19; Phil. 1:20; 1 Tim. 3:13; Phile. 1:8; Heb. 3:6; 10:35; plainness or exactness of speech (John 10:24; 11:14; 16:25, 29; 2 Cor. 3:12); openness, speaking publbeing in the public eye rather than being concealed (John 7:4 [cf. John 7:10]; John 11:54; Col. 2:15).  

Another benefit of this confidence is the assurance of salvation that is produced in the individual. Again, we need to make sure we understand this is not eternal security, God knows who are His, this is that subjective peace that we have that gives us the confidence that we belong to Him. As a person ministers for the Lord in the Body of Christ, the reality that he belongs to God takes hold. How many in the Body of Christ have no such confidence. It is no surprise to me that when an individual does nothing but fill a seat once every week at a building that they do not sense a confidence they belong to God. That's like kissing your wife once a week only and trying to feel in love and married. You have made it Lord that the more involved with You we are, the more we possess that feeling that we belong to You. Thanks Father for the way You have allowed us to confirm our feelings about our adoption into Your family!

Meditation Questions: If no one notices your ministry, how does that make you feel? Hurt feelings are valid, but in the end who’s approval matters most to you? What does that say? When you share what you believe, how sure of it are you? What does that say?  Do you “feel” saved? Why? Why not? What are you doing about that? 

The school of life even requires tests!

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 3:10 These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.

Application: What does it mean to be tested? Sadly, far to many times the only testing that goes on is head knowledge. Be sure, that is important! Anyone that is going to be involved in ministry at a leadership level needs to know the Book. Our knowledge of the Word of God is essential in enabling us to properly guide and give counsel. However, our God is always concerned with the whole person. An individual that has a lot of head knowledge but who's character has not been proven can do a lot of damage as a leader. This is why good discipleship is so important in the Body of Christ. Spending time with each other, learning about God, keeping each other accountable, always proves the character of the individual. It takes time to observe maturity, and that is why in leadership there should not be individuals that have little or no life experience to go along with their head knowledge. The Word of God is the validator of Truth, not experience, though experience is where the practical application of truth takes place and we see Godly wisdom in action. This is why both must be in the formula of developing leadership. Leaders need to know what You desire Lord and how to help others put it into practice. Only through time in growth can those skills be developed and proven. 

Even many churches today only look at education degrees when considering calling a Pastor. That is why there are so many local Churches in trouble and splitting in our communities. If they raised disciples and groomed them to be leaders they would have Pastors from their own local Body that have years of proven character. Far to many times elders at churches are appointed for the wrong reason, popularity, family power in the church, politics, their alive and no one else will do it! You deserve Lord to be offered the best from all of us, which includes the leaders we follow! We need to invest the time and effort to seek the young men and women that are willing to be trained and tested, not haphazardly appoint unproven, or unwilling individuals into leadership just to fill gaps in our Church. Father, teach us to proactively look for those that the Holy Spirit will use as leaders, help us choose leaders that are really following You, not their own reasoning’s, or logic, even if it seems to make sense. 

Meditation Questions: When you feel confident to give counsel, what is that based on? What is the danger of allowing experience to be the standard for what is true? Is there a problem with head knowledge only? What is it? What is the best way to test leaders? If you have someone leading you into a difficult situation, what do you them to possess? What happens when your experience is not validated by Scripture? What do you do about that? Is faith based on subjective truth or objective truth?

A leader with no credibility is only a leader in title!

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 3:8-9 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, 9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

Application: " Not double-tongued" - this speaks directly to our credibility. Once again we see the importance of a clear conscience! This passage challenges us in specific areas of life that, if not watched over, could lead to the defiling of one's conscience. Notice: Dignity - brings a serious tone to a person's life. This is not being a snob; instead, this is never losing the conscious awareness that we are never outside the battle. Whether in ministry, fellowship, family time or even vacation, we never lose sight of the fact that we represent Jesus Christ 24/7.  Can people trust and count on the integrity of your word? If we are sharing with them “the Way to life with God”, how can they believe us if our word in other areas is not trustworthy? " Addicted to much wine" - interesting that Paul chooses wine on this issue of moderation. Moderation is the real issue here, being mastered by anything other than God is a bad thing. Wine is the perfect example because it takes very little to loosen the self discipline for anyone. But we need to be careful not to over look  or blow off the point of this statement because we may not drink wine, it could be sweets, food, exercise, TV, you name it. The issue is do we control it or does it control us? 

Lastly, "fond of sordid gain". A major stumbling block in the Body of Christ today sometimes considered “one of the acceptable sins” in this age of televangelism! If I was searching for truth and was watching a lot of the "superstars" in the church today I would believe they care a lot more about money than God. It is a sad commentary on the church today, though not surprising. The enemy has always looked for ways to get the tares in among the wheat. This shows us why it is so important that we leave no question in the mind of others that we share the Lord only because we love Him, and desire all to know of His wonderful offer of a relationship with all that would come. There should be no question of any other motive. I have been a ministry for 31 years now, more than half of that as a self support missionary, Never, and I mean never have I had to be concerned over my needs being met. As I share the Lord with all I know, asking for nothing in return, He has supplied all my needs. We need to focus on who we are, and let Him focus on how we live.

Meditation Questions: When you give your word, do people write in down in INK, in PENCIL or they don’t write it down at all? What does that say? How do you represent Christ in all you do? Is there anything that has mastered your life? Habits? What are you doing about those? How much do you think about money? Do you use the “things” in life or just collect them? What’s the oldest “techy” thing you own? How new must all your stuff be? By what you own, is it clear you own it or it owns you? Which statement do you think you live: Money is to have and God is to use, or, God is to have and money is to use?  

Leadership is an inward thing!

Scripture Read:  1 Timothy 3:1-7  It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Application: In Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, in Book 3, Chapter 8 “The Great Sin”, there is an incredible chapter on pride, worth the time for every child of God to read. It is only a few pages long, but has a lifetime of wealth in it. I highly recommend it. Nothing is more dangerous than pride and Paul knew that and here warns about what I call “Harvesting before maturity”. Paul states that an elder should not be “not a new convert”, why? When someone very young in the Lord is lifted into a position of prominence and authority, it can very easily go to their head and they can be lifted up in pride, which Paul describes as the sin of Satan. When we think “we’re all that” a fall is just ahead. Young believers need to learn the danger of their flesh, learn they can fall and be restored. Even Apollos in Acts 18:24-26 had to learn temperance: "Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus.  He was an eloquent speaker,well-versed  in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm he spoke and taught accurately the facts about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak out fearlessly  in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately”. Apollos had to learn to show love and follow leaders and submit to those in authority over them. This is healthy and leads to a natural growth that makes them better leaders later. 

The last issue Paul brings up is very important if the Body of Christ is to have the impact on the world as the Lord desires. An elder needs to have “a good reputation with those outside the church”. Although, this is true for all believers, it is most important for the elder. Many leaders in the church can become callus to the world because they are around believers so much. They can begin to focus only on how to help their flock and treat unbelievers like they are second-class humans! Nothing is farther from the truth or the heart of our God, and nothing is more desired by the enemy. If an elder has a bad reputation among unbelievers, a very important bridge has just been torn down. Remember, if you have an unbelieving friend and are loving him toward Christ, when he comes to church and sees an elder with a bad reputation he has experienced or knows about, because he is a terrible neighbor or some other such thing, you will not see that friend return! We must remember we represent Christ to those that do not know Him, we may be the only Bible they ever read! As God calls us into leadership, we will see many blessings, but we must be conscious of the truth from Luke: Luke  12:48… From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Meditation Questions: Are you in a hurry to become a leader? Why? Do you see the movement of time as a way to become prepared to do what God has made you for? When someone below in position, disrespects you, what do you feel? What does that show? If your name is left out of a recognition of something you were a part of, what do you feel? What does that show? When others are honored and you are not, what do you feel? What does that show? What would those that know you, but don’t know Christ, say about you? 

Salvation is free for us, but evidence should show up in our character.

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 3:1-7 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. ² An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³ not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. ⁴ He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity ⁵ (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), ⁶ and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. ⁷ And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Application: Let’s remember that as we look at these qualifications for Elders, we do not want to escape the opportunity to examine our own lives in light of these qualities that all believers should emulate! “Pugnacious” is not a common word used today.

The Greek word - πλήκτης  plḗktēs; to strike. A striker, a violent person, figuratively a reviler, one who by reproachful and upbraiding language wounds the conscience of his brethren, a contentious person

The New Oxford American Dictionary: • eager or quick to argue, quarrel, fight: the increasingly pugnacious demeanor of politicians.

• having the appearance of a willing fighter: the set of her pugnacious jaw.

As a child of God we should not be “looking for a fight”, not violent or quick tempered. It may appear manly in this world, but in God’s world it is immature! “Gentle” - avoids contentions - this is the answer to “pugnacious”, yet this does not mean avoids confrontation. The key here is that even in confrontations the person is not looking for a fight, but is looking for a resolve and is therefore “peaceable” - ἄμαχος  ámachos; from - without, and máchē  - battle, controversy. Not disposed to fight, not contentious or quarrelsome^[1] This person is not quarrelsome and does not always have to fight. This is an interesting character after the previous four. It seems to sum the others up, giving us a tidy understanding of a good leader, worthy to be lifted up for us to emulate.

Paul continues to describe an Elder as “free from the love of money”.  We can reason the clarity of this from other parts of God’s Word wherein we are told we cannot serve two masters. The reason given is, we will have divided attention. For the Elder, his “call” will become a job. Nothing is more tragic than men that use a church as a stepping-stone to elevate themselves. “He must be one who manages his own household well”. Many elders do not like this section because the ministry competes with family time, and some consider family an essential but taxing burden. This is sad but true, I have counseled many that have not dealt with how their flesh has deceived them in what is most important to God. Paul reasons with us saying, if you cannot disciple your own kids, who start out loving you just because you are Dad, then how can you love, shepherd and disciple strangers that have all kinds of issues in their life that you know nothing about? This is a fair and good accountability for all of us parents. We have the next generation of disciples living with us. We need to spend the time that it takes to love them to Jesus!

Meditation Questions: What do you do in your life to gauge your own character growth? If nothing, what does that show you? In this day of “political Christianity” is there a balance needed in our stewardship as citizens and our slavery to Christ? What is yours? Is it possible to stand for something and yet not quarrel? Describe what that looks like? Why is the love of money so dangerous? If we know we don’t love money, yet we like it too much, what problems can occur? List some reasons why it is silly to love and depend on money.

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^[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary : New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

Taking what you know and sharing it

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 3:1-7 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Application: As we continue to look at the list that Paul gave to Timothy when considering men from the eldership, he states they should be “able to teach”. In this day and age of superstar preachers we need to be very careful about what this really means. Paul is not talking about style or being charismatic in our presentation. A teacher is someone who has the ability to communicate knowledge. Obviously, all of us want to present what we teach in a way that attracts people's attention, this is an essential for a preaching-elder. Although not all elders are gifted to be in the pulpit, but they are not called to. Elders are called to shepherd the flock, which includes communicating the truth of the Scriptures or teach, but that does not have to be from the pulpit. So the real issue here is that an elder has the ability to assimilate the truth and to present it to those that he is discipling. This is a skill all of us need to develop as part of our character in life whether we have the position of elder or not. We may not be in a classroom, or in a formal teaching situation, but we do need to learn to take the truth that God teaches us and allow the Holy Spirit to use us to instruct others on these matters. A good beginning to this is to write out a personal testimony of the difference that Jesus Christ has made to your life, so that you can share that with others to help them. Teachers do not just show how well they can do something or the display the depth of knowledge they have on any one subject. Teachers pass on the knowledge enabling their students to do, grow, and build upon what they’re learning, when this does not happen we often say, “The teacher is full of hot air”. This would not be a character worthy of serving as an “elder” or shepherd of the body of Christ. 

“Not addicted to wine”, there has been a lot of discussion about whether an Elder or a Christian should drink any alcohol, a debate I can not settle now, though the scriptures are clear that drunkenness is a sin, therefore drinking falls into the Liberty area. Each believer must decide what best glorifies God in their life. The issue here is best served to look at the original:  

πάροινος pároinos; from pará - near or by, and oínos - wine.  Pertaining to wine, drunken. The word does not include the responsible and temperate usage of alcohol, rather, it has in view the abuse or incessant use of it. The word–picture is that of an individual who always has a bottle (or wineskin) on the table and so signifies addiction (1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7).   or “One who lingers beside his wine” No believer should be mastered by anything. This is where we see – not just leadership step up, but anyone who takes seriously that he represents the Lord. Even in our Liberties we need to see how that affects our testimony for Him. We are given a description or a picture of what an Elder should “look” like by Paul, saying, in essence, an elder is one who has not only knowledge to teach the scriptures but wisdom to know how to handle his liberties and the character of honesty to keep himself from slipping into drunkenness. We all have difficulties in life to deal with. Even the Elder serving us, though he needs to be an example to us as one who endures and works through the problems and trials without allowing his flesh to rule, instead he seeks the Holy Spirit and wisdom from God.     

Meditation Questions: Have you developed a testimony that you can share to folks that explains the difference Jesus has made in your life? If not, will you? When you learn something from God do you share that with others? What does your answer show you about your desire for others to know God? Do you drink alcohol? If so, why? If not, why? How important is this issue? What could make it more important or less important?  Do you pray for your leaders? How often? 

“Christian” is a lifestyle, not a title.

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 3:1-7 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. ² An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³ not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. ⁴ He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity ⁵ (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), ⁶ and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. ⁷ And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Application: Often, we come to a passage that does not speak directly to us, we have the tendency to just pass over it thinking it does not apply to us. We should never limit what the Holy Spirit will do with all of the Scriptures. This section is about qualifications for elders, but let us not allow ourselves the ability to ignore the wonderful truths that are communicated here for our benefit. That does God's Word a disservice. This list Paul gives of qualities that elders should have is a list that all of us should use as our own guide. Whether we have the position of elder or not, every child of God is an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ, as such we should do our best to represent Him in all we do. (1 Cor. 10:13) Consider the descriptions:

Temperate: to be moderate, self restrained; not extreme in opinion, statement, etc. to be moderate as regards indulgence of appetite or passions, especially in the use of alcoholic liquors; not excessive in degree. We are to be modest and controlled in our life. This would cover all we do and how we act. It does not mean we cannot have fun, engage in issues of our culture or enjoy the good things of this life. It is more about not swinging too far over in any extreme direction.

Prudent: wise or judicious in practical affairs; discreet or circumspect; careful in providing for the future; provident. This communicates that we have a serious edge on our life, it does not mean we don't have a sense of humor, but that we understand what is really important. An example would be; “the social gospel”, if we only help someone not be hungry but allow them to go well fed to hell we missed it and are not prudent! Yes, we should have empathy for the hungry and feed them when sharing the love of Jesus, but they need more than just their physical appetite quenched, spiritually they are starving and we have the spiritual food they need.

Respectable: worthy or esteem, of good social standing, reputation. We should be well ordered; not in continual confusion or a life of unaccomplished plans. People see when we have a purpose and to see that purpose come to fruition.

Hospitable: receiving or treating guests or strangers warmly and generously; characterized by giving warmth and hospitality; favorably receptive or open to new ideas and people. Whether an extrovert or introvert, it matters not, the love of Christ should motivate our life to care for people, no matter who they are and to invite them to be a part of our life. This will require us to open our life up to people. God did not call us to be hermits and live alone. It is important to take a moment, pause from our lives, and really look at the qualities that we're showing to others. The Holy Spirit desires to reproduce the character of Jesus Christ in all of us.

 

Meditation Questions: When you think of Character development, what do you consider; your position in the Church; your title, or the fact that you represent Him? What does that say?  Looking at these four qualities, where would you say you are the strongest? Where would you say you are the weakest? What should you not do concerning the area you are strong in? What should you do concerning the area you are weak in? Why is this important?