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| Photo by Ben Dixon on Unsplash |
We used the simple SOAP
acronym as a devotional guide... which stands for:
- Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today?
- Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
- Application—what will I do differently as a result of reading this today?
- Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?
S = 1 Timothy 3: 2-7, 14-15
"Therefore an overseer must be
above reproach,
- the husband of one wife,
- sober-minded,
- self-controlled,
- respectable,
- hospitable,
- able to teach,
- not a drunkard,
- not violent but gentle,
- not quarrelsome,
- not a lover of money.
- He must manage his own household well. (v.4)
- He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit. (v.6)
- He must be well thought of by outsiders. (v.7) [bullet-list mine]
I hope to come to you soon, but
I am writing these things to you so
that, if I delay,
you may know how one ought to behave in
the household of God,
which is the church of the living God,
a pillar and buttress of the truth. (emphasis mine)
O = Paul was preparing Timothy and those to whom Timothy would
minister for the possibility of his being delayed. He gave Timothy what amounts to a list of “house rules” that pertained not so much to a physical place as relationally to the
family of God! This list is pretty descriptive regarding the “above
reproach” character (KJV "conversation") attributes of
someone pastoring/overseeing the church. This is a great gift for it is a (non-exhaustive) list of how God's love manifests itself in God's family on earth. Because pastoring is a “noble
task” the pastor/overseer must have a noble character. It needs to have been transformed by Christ from the inside out. So many problems would
be solved if all who serve in church leadership lived up to these lofty
standards from a heart responding to the love of Christ. If there is any hope
for people to mature and become more like Christ, their leaders should show evidence of such change in their lives.
A = Just as we have a sign in our home listing attitudes and
actions that we would like to characterize our lives together, Paul left just
such a set of affectively descriptive “house rules” for Timothy and those he
would pastor. However, we don’t always live up to such lists. I recognize how
much I need the grace of God to live into such noble standards! I am reminded
of a quote from the movie Remember the Titans, "Attitude
reflects leadership!" The attitude of church leadership is contagious—one
way or the other.
Will I be honest and vulnerable about my
own struggles, wrestlings, and lessons learned the hard way? It is not a failure
to show people:
- that I am human but adopted into God’s family,
- that I am broken, but depending on the God who heals the sick, and
- that I am not perfect but am hopeful and am being transformed by the love of Christ poured into my heart by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).
P = O Lord, please help us to live by your "house
rules", not just by behaving in a way that honors you and honors your
presence in your people but as a loving response of our hearts to yours! Let us
function as a community of mercy and grace, full of forgiveness, yet rightly
focused on the work of gently, faithfully, and lovingly, advancing your
kingdom.
