A Good Reputation - Wednesday 24th October

1 Timothy 3
1It is true that anyone who desires to be a church official wants to be something worthwhile. 2 That's why officials must have a good reputation and be faithful in marriage. They must be self-controlled, sensible, well-behaved, friendly to strangers, and able to teach. 3 They must not be heavy drinkers or troublemakers. Instead, they must be kind and gentle and not love money. 4 Church officials must be in control of their own families, and they must see that their children are obedient and always respectful. 5 If they don't know how to control their own families, how can they look after God's people? 6 They must not be new followers of the Lord. If they are, they might become proud and be doomed along with the devil. 7 Finally, they must be well-respected by people who are not followers. Then they won't be trapped and disgraced by the devil.

Choosing church leaders and officials is fraught with danger – and worst is choosing a new minister. Get it wrong and disaster looms! So discussions about the character of a potential leader lead towards the “Only the Angel Gabriel need apply” mode. It is helpful therefore for Paul to have been sensible in what he says here, concentrating on a person’s relationships; for these are key. If our leaders get on well with people then we can cope with their inability to do admin or budgets or good publicity or even to preach a cracking sermon! Selectors please note!
But there is more here than that. Whether or not you aspire to leadership, the description of a “good reputation” that emerges here is worth chewing over. It implies that it can be worked on – that faithfulness in marriage, for example, is linked with good reputation. Why? Because all the stuff about children and families shows that faithfulness is being built on. It is a given. That differs markedly from the norms of today’s world, but all the statistics support Paul’s view. A good reputation is worth me working on, not because of what people may say of me, but because it makes a better ‘me’. And spiritually, there is less danger of being ‘trapped and disgraced by the devil’
To think about: How many of the attributes in Paul’s list would be questioned today? Do I have a problem with any of them?