Well, it’s time to pick back up where we left off a few months ago. Now that we have discussed the fundamentals of our faith–the gospel, salvation, righteousness, etc–it’s time to step back and take another look in the mirror. Like I stated a while back, I really want to break down what it looks like to be Godly men and Godly women. What are our roles? How, exactly, should we strive to live? How do knowing those roles translate into daily life?…into our relationships?…into our marriages?
I think it is JUST as important for a male to understand what a Godly woman looks like, as it is for him to understand the standard that he, as a Godly man, is called to. And vice versa, from a woman’s perspective. Knowing how we are called to live our lives and knowing what it looks like to see another individual striving for the Kingdom is CRUCIAL in our ministry, in our relationships, in our friendships, etc. The sole purpose of EVERY SINGLE RELATIONSHIP on this earth is to, first and foremost, glorify God. We are all called to love one another–and it’s vital to know what that love should look like.
So, with all that said, I want to first break down MEN! (Ladies, pay VERY close attention, because this will take all the guess work out of “the game”…and men, time to check yourself–are you a man? or a boy?)
In April of 2010, I was spending some time in the Word and started reading 1 Timothy. (What has now become one of my favorite books in the Bible) 1 Timothy is a book in the New Testament that was written by Paul. We talked about Paul earlier, but I’ll recap. He was a horrific man. He was a liar, a thief, and a murderer–he literally persecuted Christians. But Paul accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and was filled with the Holy Spirit. Once a blasphemer and a murderer, Paul became one of the most unbelievable examples of God’s fantastic grace and mercy. He wrote the majority of the New Testament and, as flawed a man as he once was, he was redeemed by Jesus Christ and SO profoundly moved by the power of God’s love that He became one of the greatest teachers of Christ’s power long after Jesus was gone. (So amazing! God can change ANYONE’S life and use ANYONE in His plan–no matter our past sins.) Anyways, Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, who was responsible for leading the church of Ephesus. It was spiraling downhill, fast, and Paul knew Timothy needed instruction on how to properly lead the church and how to properly lead as a Godly man. 1 Timothy is all about leadership–it can be applied to leadership in the church, leadership in relationships, leadership on a sports team, leadership in ANYTHING!
So you might be sitting here wondering why I’m blubbering on about 1 Timothy and leadership, but there is intent, I promise. The entire New Testament paints a picture of what love looks like, the righteousness we should strive for, and how we are called to live our lives. And while there are countless passages and scriptures that articulate what it looks like to be a Godly man, time and time again through the Bible, it is repeated that the man is called to be the LEADER. So I want to zoom in on 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and explain to you exactly what that means.
1 Timothy 3:1-7 says…“Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”
And Titus 1:6-9 goes on to say…”An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
Wow, so much said in so few sentences. What does all this mean? Is there a difference between what a man is called to before marriage and after marriage? How does this make a man a leader? Take some time to re-read these two passages. Break them down. Look up words that you may be confused about. Study them. Then check back to the blog soon and we’ll study it together…there is much to be explained…are you a real man?
(to be continued…)
