I Want To Be Like That!

1 Timothy 3:1 - 7, lays out the qualifications for an elder - narrowly viewed by the Western Theological movement as being an all inclusive, only applying to Elders, list of what is unattainable.  And yet, Paul expected this to be possible in God's church!  (psst, if you do not have these in your church's eldership - find an other church because God is not where you are!)  I will get off my soapbox again...

God Help Me To:

Avoid Unhealthy Extremes
Be balanced in your:

• Work
• Pleasure
• Food
• Sports
• Sex Life
• etc!

The big point here is:

• To be self-controlled
• Wise
• Respected by those whom are God-ly

Have A Welcoming Spirit
New visitors in your church? Go welcome them!
It appears change is about to happen? Prayerfully discern the intent and react accordingly.
Have problems with someone in the church? Go out of your way to set it right.

Be A Lover of the Word
Read your Bible!  Know its content, know its intention!
Be teachable.
Be willing to teach others one on one, be a study leader, be a witness.

Be Reasonable
Think on this before answering: what comes before God in your life?  Is it you, someone else, money, pleasure, power, etc?

Be:

• Sober - not a drunkard
• Gentle - not violent
• Calm - not quarrelsome
• Generous - not a lover of money

Have Roots
Be mature in the Christian faith, know the difference between what Western Theology says and what God really does say.
Judge not the moment, but across time, in all things.

If you can not accomplish this then yes, you will have problems!

Be Someone Non-believers Will Respect
You must be well thought of by outsiders to the faith.
Your unsaved friends respect you.

The qualifications we find here in this passage should be attainable for any believer.  There is nothing here which calls for any piety or massive sacrifice, it is you being called to change your life and its direction.  To be willing to follow a new calling, a new path, to seek His Will and not your own.

So, read back through here and ask yourself where you fall.  Then do something about it or if you are there, be God's voice in a dying world, right where you live, work and play.