“He must not be a new Christian, or he might become arrogant like the devil and be condemned. People who are not Christians must speak well of him, or he might become the victim of disgraceful insults that the devil sets as traps for him” (1Tim 3:6, 7; GNB)

Apostle Paul describes the qualities of a godly leader. He can be the overseer of a church, a deacon, a husband or a father. There are some attributes which are vital in the character of the leader. The absence of these qualities disqualifies a man or woman to be in a place of spiritual leadership.

A Christian leader should not be a young man or a young convert. The danger is hidden pride. The devil will try his best to make to the leader fall. Never underestimate his perseverance. Pride is the first sin that was ever committed in this universe. It is difficult to detect and even more difficult to repent of. The devil was once a beautiful angel called Lucifer. He was in the garden of God as a cherub leader, probably in charge of the heavenly choir. He became proud on account of his beauty and he fell from that exalted position (Ez 28:11-20). He is now roaming the earth seeking whom he may destroy.

An immature leader is not settled spiritually and emotionally. He is still like a green wood. The flesh is still too active. He thinks that without him nothing works. He talks too much. He is impatient. Sexual lust is still an issue. He is financially unstable most of the time. But a mature leader has learned by experience to be calm, patient and caring. He is a good listener. He is a good communicator. He has seen God working in the life of his congregation so he knows that he is not alone. He has fewer needs so he can afford to be financially more stable. The world has lost its attraction for him. He is more interested in spiritual things.

A leader must have a good reputation among the unbelievers. This is a very hard test. The unbelievers have a tendency to mock the children of God. They assume that we are fakes or hypocrites. Other times they flatter or bribe a Christian to make him proud. Some try to tempt them sexually or to corrupt the honest people. The unbelievers are agents of the devil and they show no mercy at all. They are not afraid to lie or to slander. The fiery darts are real and very painful if they reach the mark. For any believer who can stand under all these attacks and not fall, that is great achievement indeed.

So ask yourself: what do the unbelievers around say about you? What is your boss saying in his annual review about you? It is not enough to ignore them. If they have to write a secret recommendation about you, what will they say? But if unbelievers confess that they tried their best to make you fall to sexual sin, to provoke you to be angry or bitter and yet they failed, that is the best recommendation for promotion you can receive. It has value on earth and also in heaven. God sometimes listens to the pagan’s report about you. That is something to think about…

In Christ I declare:

I humble myself under the mighty hand of God!

God’s perfect will shall be done in my life!

Miraculously, my enemies shall be at peace with me!

In Jesus name

Amen!