August 27, 2017
Now the overseer is to be… faithful to his wife… not a lover of money… not pursuing dishonest gain. 1 Timothy 3:2-3, 8 (NIV)
The effective Christian leader is marked by sexual and financial integrity. He reflects the faithfulness of Christ in his marriage and with his money.
- Faithful in marriage
When Paul says an overseer must be “faithful to his wife” (3:2), this does not mean that a person has to be married in order to lead. Paul was never married. It does mean that a person must be celibate if single and faithful if married. - Faithful with money
The elder is not to be “a lover of money” (3:3). And the deacon is not to pursue “dishonest gain” (3:8). The most obvious evidence that a man is not a lover of money is that he is a generous giver. This will be a normal mark of an effective Christian leader.
If you are young, set your heart on being a “one-woman man” early in life. Make a covenant with God about that. Other folks will flirt with as many people as possible. But the more they flirt, the shallower they will become. You be different. Set your heart of becoming the kind of person who will be faithful in marriage.
Set your heart on being faithful with money early in life. Don’t waste it. And don’t hoard it. Instead, make it your practice to save well, spend well, and give well.
Where do you need to take a stand in the area of moral integrity?