1 Timothy 3 - 3.18.24

Scripture

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT

”For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?“

Observation

Paul is writing Timothy to instruct him what characteristics to look for when assigning leaders to the church in Ephesus. Here are the requirements found in verses 2-4 as suggested by Paul:

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”So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him.“

It’s a high standard to ask, but then again, we are talking about someone who is supposed to be managing God’s church and shepherding God’s people. A very important task indeed.

Application

Ministry begins at home.

The verse I chose this morning really spoke to me as a reminder that my ministry begins in my own household. Too many times we hear stories of church leaders whose families are broken. Either their marriage ended in divorce, or their kids rebelled and went off the deep end with a life of drug addiction. It hits home with me now because I’m a husband and father who is an Elder at a church. Sometimes leaders can get so caught up in their ministry at church, that they can often neglect their ministry at home to their wife and kids. That’s why I like Paul’s advice here to Timothy, as Timothy prepares to elect church leaders. Paul tells Timothy, (among other things), to look for a man who is faithful to his wife, and has children who respect and obey him. It is important for the man to be able to manage his home in a godly manner if he’s expected to manage God’s church in the same fashion. It kind of reminds me of this verse:

”If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.“ -Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭10‬

If someone can’t even run their own home in a godly ‭manner, what do you expect will happen if that person tries running a church (which is a larger scale of family and home)?🤔

So today I’m reminded that my ministry to my wife and kids are a priority to me. I have to make sure my wife is getting the love and support she needs from me at home. I also need to make sure that my kids are getting the proper love and discipleship from me that they need. I need to make it a point to spend that quality time with them, loving them, and pointing them to Jesus, as we go through life together. I know if I can do that, we will have a healthy and thriving marriage, a blessed and joyful home life, and a church we can call home as we all serve in ministry together. 😊

Prayer

Father God, I thank You for being the foundation and center of my family and home. You have blessed me with a beautiful, God-fearing wife who loves and supports me and our kids. You blessed me with 2 beautiful daughters who I had the privilege of baptizing into Your Family. I pray for Your protection over our home. May You continue to bless us with Your love and provision as we learn and grow in our faith, and serve in ministry together. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi