I Timothy 3: 8-10
Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
Deacons are responsible for the administration of the church, but we often feel that they need not to be too spiritual. In fact in the early churches, deacons should have a good reputation, wisdom and filled with the holy spirit ; in other words, they should be very matured spiritually. In addition, Paul had added a few more attributes often overlooked:
First, they should not be double-tongued, and should refrain from gossiping. There are people in the church who are fervent in seeking God's word, reading the Bible, praying and bearing testimonies, yet they have not been properly trained in what they say which can often hurts others instead of building them up . If you look back, during our spiritual journeys, we were often hurt by the words of so called "spiritual" Christians. Although, in most cases, these were unintentional as they have not been dealt by God, but their words were like piercing swords causing great pain.
On the other hand, many seldom talks; but sometimes they may be worse than those who talks a lot; aren't we also behaved similarly? James 3:1 teaches us, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness." I am not saying we should not talk in our church; we definitely should have fellowship, teachings, and preaching; but we need to be very careful if our words are to be helpful in building up others.
James 3:2 continues, "For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body." If a person can have a full control of his own tongue, he would naturally have self-discipline in his life and would not sin easily. It is obvious that our tongue is the key to sanctification.
In addition, Paul also indicated some will encounter temptation prior to serving. Therefore before we fully know a person, this person should not be appointed as a leader casually. Only through time and numerous testing under different situations, can we come to know the patience and character of this person. If you long to serve in the church as a volunteer and participate in its ministry, often times we need to pass the test of time. May the Lord give us a heart of humility, learning to wait for His timing. He will certainly open the door of His ministry for us when the time comes.
Pray with Pastor Tong
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.