Titus 1:5-6

I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you. An elder must live a blameless life.

Crete had many cities. Homer, the Greek poet, described the island as “Crete of the hundred cities.” The apostle Paul was clearly concerned that each community of Christian believers should have leadership and he trusted his friend Titus to get on with the job of appointing elders. He described these elders in many ways but, above all, it was the quality of their life that mattered. They needed to be blameless. That doesn’t mean that he was looking for perfection but, clearly, he was keen that they should live exemplary lives. This would set a high standard for the churches as they encountered continual challenges. A key part of this was the way in which the elder looked after his own family. How could an elder possibly lead God’s household if he couldn’t take care of his own?

When we appoint leaders, it is easy to be unduly impressed by their qualifications. Academic degrees are definitely important but they cannot take the place of character. Someone with a string of degrees and good communication skills would not make a good Christian leader if they were arrogant, uncaring or ill-disciplined. Different church streams have a wide range of ways of making appointments, but they all need our prayers and support as they try to find appropriate people.

Paul made it clear at the beginning of all his letters that he was appointed by God. Being a Christian leader wasn’t his own bright idea but God’s. Here, he was clearly urging Titus to make appointments on the same basis. Titus needed to seek out those whom God had already called and to set them aside for the awesome privilege of leading the church. Nothing has changed – that is still our responsibility today.

Question

What do you think are the most important character traits for a Christian leader?

Prayer

Loving God, thank You for those who are responsible for selecting Christian leaders. Please fill them with Your Holy Spirit and enable them to make decisions that will build Your Church. Amen