House Rules (SOAP Journal from 1 Timothy 3)

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In addition to regular articles, I will be posting highlights of some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular gathering of pastors to journal, pray, and encourage one another. These are not exhaustively studied as they are generally the work of 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. These brief devotional journal posts will begin in the Pastoral epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus). Hopefully, they will be encouraging to the readers of this blog.

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]

v. 14-15

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).

This week I will see this scriptural list not as a condemnation of my weaknesses but as an invitation—listing areas where I can respond more affectionately to the love of Christ for me.

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.