Who Wouldn't Want A Pastor Like That?

627 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 3:4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); Next on the list of pastoral qualifications is the pastor must rule those under his authority in his own house well. It's not that a pastor MUST be married and MUST have children, but if he does have a spouse and children, a lot can be learned about his ability to shepherd a congregation by simply observing the actions and interactions of his family members. Simply put, the pastor must rule his own family. His wife and children are to demonstrate an acquiescence to his God-given authority. Of course this is true for every family, but especially important for a prospective pastor, because as the Holy Spirit puts it, “for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?” The word “rule” here means to preside. A pastor then must be one who knows how to preside over his family. This rule over family members is couched in the term, “reverence,” which means that he rules from a platform of honor and respect from his family and not ruling from a platform of fear. This DOES NOT MEAN that the pastor's children are perfect and without rebellion. (Ask any PK about their experience in that realm!) But the question is, if and when rebellion occurs, how did the pastor/father/husband handle it? Rebellion will occur in the congregation! Church discipline will likely need to be applied at some time or another, and the way a pastor/husband/father handles discipline in his own family will speak mounds about how he will handle it in God's family! As these churches were planted, I find it an amazingly sweet thought that Timothy and Titus were to look for qualified candidates among married men who presided over their families with a firmness tempered by grace and mercy. Who wouldn't want a pastor like that?