MONDAY March 31, 2025
Servanthood
Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.
1 Timothy 3:8-10
Deacons operating in the church have basically the same qualifications as the bishops––overseers. As we have covered most of these qualifications in-depth, I want to instead address how, in some places in the world, there is a wrong concept of what leadership is all about.
The word deacon means “servant.” In South America and other places in the world where I have traveled, there are pastors who have the misconception that the people are expected to serve them. That is a bad philosophy of ministry to have, because the ministry is not so they can be served. The ministry is serving others; it is becoming a servant to people.
It seems in the hearts of these pastors and elders that they have been lifted up with pride. Leaders cannot take advantage of people by asking them for favors.
There also seems to be a lot of the elders who have become a respecter of persons. James corrected those who showed partiality in the church:
My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:1-4).
This sort of behavior should not be tolerated. It needs to be addressed. When I travel with a team to South America, as we teach, we help elders in any capacity to have a biblical mentality of leadership––servanthood.
In leadership, we are to be humble and take on a servant role. Have you?
The measure of a leader is not the number of people who serve him but the number of people he serves.
~John C. Maxwell~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
