A Life Well-Ordered

618 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, Next on the list of pastoral qualifications is the pastor must be of good behavior. The Greek word used here is “kosmios” a derivative of kosmos, where we get the term “cosmos.” Cosmos is defined as “an orderly systematic universe.” It is the exact opposite of chaos. In short, a pastor ought to be one who has his act together. Plato said that such a person is “quiet in the land, fulfilling the duties which are incumbent upon him and is not disorderly.” A pastor should not be a rabble rouser stirring up trouble outside the flock. Now PLEASE, I'm not saying that Christians shouldn't be stirring the pot outside the walls of the church. Why just proclaiming the Gospel and the Word of God in public settings is enough to stir the pot, and it's part of our call to be “salt and light” in this world as we confront the self-destructive behavior of the world apart from Jesus Christ in accordance with God's Word. But remember, the pastor is a shepherd, and his first responsibility is to the flock, the members of the individual congregations. He is to be given to prayer and study of God's Word, for the purpose of ministering that Word to his sheep! It is as the Apostles urged the disciples in the early church in Ac 6:4 "but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." This “well-ordered” qualification of the undershepherd is a reflection of the Good Shepherd, who was there with God and the Holy Spirit when it all began. Ge 1:2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be,” and there was! What was chaos became the cosmos, a well-ordered universe. Pastors should reflect that character trait of Jesus, as they tend to the oftentimes chaotic lives of their sheep, bringing order and peace to their lives as the Holy Spirit helps the pastor minister the Word. Father, help Your shepherds to prayerfully minister Your Word.