Snakes and Doves

I am still thinking about Martin Luther's challenge to kill the leadership monsters knowns as frivolity and severity. I have known these monsters as "lazy wimp" and "control freak." Both are major threats to fruitful pastoral ministry.

I have been encouraged to look at the book of Titus for guidance in dealing with these enemies of the soul. Paul instructed Titus -

"For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." Titus 2:7-9 ESV

Wow! Lazy Wimp and Control Freak are not fitting handles for the scriptural overseer. Paul said so. Jesus did as well. His word -

"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Matthew 10:16 ESV

Anymore ideas on doing this?

3 comments:

jasonk said...

Many of the pastors I used to know would not qualify based on the very first word--arrogant. How sad!
I believe we have created a culture of arrogance among pastors, and what a shame that is, since arrogance should be something that a pastor needs to attempt to do away with.
Question: should arrogance disqualify a person from ministry the same as being a drunkard or an adulterer? Just curious.

Matt Snowden said...

Jason,

It was a disqualifer in Titus 1. A missionary from South America pointed to Titas as a good place to explore this issue. He was working on an ordination service so it was close to him. Check our Titus 2:7-8. When our speech is not life giving or arrogant the stink in on "us." Thanks for commenting.

Matt Snowden said...

oops

Titus not Titas in sentence #2.

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