Leaders: we want you!

It strikes me that our world wants to typecast the personality of a leader. This also seems to be happening in the Christian world. Men are expected be a certain personality type in order to be a great Christian leader. We need to be more masculine, more assertive, more confident, more successful, more eloquent, smarter, faster, better looking. More like guys like Mark Driscoll (who no doubt is a very gifted leader). Whilst it is great to hold up great Christan leaders as role models it may be cripple blokes in their leadership if we keep holding up the alpha male as the ultimate leader. Is it even biblical?

Last night we had a men's night with church and looked at the qualities of a leader from 1 Tim 3.

1Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

8Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

11In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

I made three points:

1. Leaders are godly - God doesn't typecast our personality but he certainly tells us what our character is to be like.

2. Leaders lead at home - your family life will give you the most accurate picture of how you’re going as a leader.

3. Leaders are mature - however long we’ve been Christians we need to be men who are committed to Christian maturity.