Leading, Following

  We have been (loosely) following a theme of right conduct, leadership and choices.  In his first letter to Timothy, Paul instructs him on the attributes of church leaders.  A leader should be "above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.  He must manage his own family well. . . . not be a recent convert. . . .  He must also have a good reputation with outsiders" (1 Timothy 3:2-7).  For Paul these don't seem to be unusually high standards.  He has basically the same expectations for all Christians except for being able to teach.
  Paul was both warning Timothy about other, older teachers around him and exhorting him to live up to higher standards than they were.  Paul encouraged Timothy to train himself to be godly (4:7) and to set an example "in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" (4:12).

  For reflection:  Whose standards am I following?  Am I training myself to be godly?  What example am I setting for others?
  Let us pray.  Jesus, I recognize that there are areas in my life where I am a leader and areas where I am a follower.  I always want to be following you and leading others to you.

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