The Call to All Round Excellence

UV 3643/10000. The Call to All Round Excellence This is a faithful and trustworthy saying: if any man (eagerly) seeks the office of overseer (bishop, superintendent), he desires an excellent task. I Timothy 3 v 1 To be a leader, it takes excellence. To be a leader in the kingdom of God, it takes all round excellence, in public life as well as private life. An overseer or supervisor in the body of Christ needs to be blameless, beyond reproach. He should be a good teacher or communicator both by precept and example. He should lead an orderly family life with no whisper of immorality. He ought to be always wise in his conduct and speech, responsible, mature and balanced. He should be generous with his time and resources, making himself available to the members or those he leads and serves. A leader should be not addicted to any substance. He should be calm, self controlled, gentle. He should command both his temper and his tongue and bring it under the control of the Holy Spirit at all times. He should be free from the lust for money and be financially ethical. He must not be proud, arrogant or conceited. Rather, the man of God who leads should be humble and modest. He does not want to draw attention to himself and is content to be in the background in any conversation or interaction. He should train his own children to be well behaved and respectful. His family is his first ministry. The leader should be esteemed not only by believers but by people outside the church. He should be careful not to fall into any kind of temptation for he is always the target of the enemy who desires to discredit and dishonor any child of God. This requires him to follow the maxim of Jesus, “Be as shrewd as the serpent and as gentle as the dove.” He should be rooted in the word, focused on the locus, the Lord and His word. He not only stores the word in his heart but brings it out aptly on occasion to use as either a sword or as a shield. Finally, the godly leader in pursuit of all round excellence is not given to indolence or laziness but is diligent, determined and industrious, seeking to do or give his best in all circumstances and all tasks. He does not rely on his own abilities or wisdom but depends on the counsel and grace of the Lord.