Timothy's Leadership Musts (Pt. 2)

Today, we are continuing our look at the leadership musts that Paul imparts to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3.  We started our look into this last week, which can be found here. Today, we are going to dive into 1 Timothy 3:3.

"He must not be a heavy drinker, or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, not not love money." 1 Timothy 3:3 (NLT)

1. Not a heavy drinker. I will not get into the discussion of whether leaders should drink alcohol or not; however, heavy drinking, getting drunk, and similar difficulties are a definitive "no-no" for leaders. Leaders need to have clear minds at all time. A large part of this goes back to verse 2, which states that leaders need to be above reproach. Individuals who drink heavily will naturally have impaired decision-making, which leads to unwise leadership decisions.

2. Not be violent. This seems basic, but it is surprising how many leaders can quickly turn rather violent. I am not a counselor, but I believe part of this comes from the desire of many leaders to control things. When things get out of control, rage and violent tendencies surface. Wise leaders understand that not everything can be controlled. Wise leaders manage the perpetual chaos that naturally occurs in life without getting angry about it.

3. Be gentle. Gentle people are naturally easier to talk to. As a leaders, especially a church leader, people will come to you with burdens, problems, and difficulties. A gentle spirit shows that you are willing and available to listen, help, and work with them through whatever may be going on in life.

4. Not quarrelsome. This can be so difficult for leaders. Many leaders have very strong personalities. They have opinions, and they are usually not afraid to share them. This is not necessarily a bad thing; however, it can be easy for those in leadership positions to start disagreements and quarrels. When people are working with other people, disagreements naturally occur, but the problem comes in when a person seeks out quarrels. Some people just enjoy being in a "fight," and Paul is telling us that we need to be watchful putting these people in leadership positions.

5. Not love money. Things always get hard when money gets thrown into the picture. Having money is not necessarily bad, and in many professions, being in leadership will offer an increase in income; however, this increase should NEVER be the impetus for a individual to head into leadership. True leaders realize that their leadership abilities are God-given, and they get a joy out of being able to utilize them. The pay is secondary to the joy they receive from doing what it is that they were wired to do.

Again, Paul continues to raise the bar for leaders everywhere, especially those within the church. Which of these five do you struggle with the most?