It's An Honorable Thing

Starting something new can be very intimidating. Aside from a lack of confidence, the risk of doing something wrong and being embarrassed, and probably worst of all, failure, newness can keep many people from venturing off into the unknown.

That may be true for many adventures, but it’s equally true in Christianity. Many people claim they don’t want to make the plunge to follow Jesus because they don’t have it down yet, or their not good enough yet. While those may be legitimate fears, a person can’t expect to hear “well done good and faithful servant, welcome into heaven” if they live by those fears.

However, like many activities and choices we make, having friends and a support group to bolster our confidence, take away the fear of embarrassment, and keep us on the straight and narrow path makes all the difference. Basically, you don’t have to do this alone–God designed the church.

So the natural tendency should be to look to those who have developed into a mature Christian as our examples. A person who as Hebrews 5:14 describes as one “who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.” Their insight is inspiring.

It’s for that reason that Paul instructed Timothy to go find qualified men to serve as mentors, leaders, examples to new believers so that they could face the uncertainty of life with faith in God’s ability.

He describes the kind of men to fill those roles in 1 Timothy 3:1-4. “It’s an honorable thing to aspire to fulfill this position. Therefore, he must model his life above reproach, be faithful to his wife, must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him.”

The position of elder and deacon is less about “an office” and more about being a spiritual-minded person who is able to guide others into deeper faith in God. I encourage you to reflect on this list of qualities as just that: qualities that make a person a great example to follow. Let’s show our appreciation and full support to the men that serve as deacons in our congregations. Let’s keep on encouraging them to be the bold and loving example to Christians, new and old.