“...but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,...”
Titus 1:8
The message of this verse speaks to the qualities that leaders in the Lord’s church must possess. These qualities are synonymous with true authentic discipleship in the practice of Christianity. One of the many qualities listed is self-control.
These qualities are not qualities that only leaders in the church are supposed to possess, but qualities that all Christians should possess. These qualities are not attributes you start once you become a leader, they are to be attributes you possess in order to become a leader in the church. As such, they must be qualities that are maintained as well. In other words, self-control is part of being an exemplary disciple that as one matures in the faith, makes one eligible to serve as a leader in the church.
But whether you are a leader or not, if you are Christian, you must possess self-control. It is part of one’s growth and maturation in discipleship. (II Peter 1:5-11) We all have weaknesses. We all have blind spots. We all have areas we need to improve. We all have pitfalls of desire, lust, passion, and pride. In some areas, we have great self-control and in others we need work. Let us, as disciples of Jesus Christ, always put in the work!
We may not all be leaders in the church, but we should all be leading others to Christ. Self-control is one quality that helps us to do that. A Christian who does not possess self-control instantly loses credibility with others; because even people who aren’t Christians know, for the most part, how Christians should behave and what the moral standard of Christianity is. So if we aren’t living with self-control it will be hard, if not impossible, to lead others to Jesus.
Within the church as well, it is made clear that one is not fit to lead the church if he is not fit to lead his own household (rule his house well) or lead his own self (rule thyself well). Proper, wise, disciplined leadership is what the Lord wants in His church, in our homes, and in our lives - ourselves. But it starts with ourselves.
So let us realize the value of the values of leadership in the Lord’s church and faithfully apply them to our individual lives in His service and to His glory!
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