The Christian Temperance Union was highly intemperate. As C.S. Lewis has rightly pointed out, to be temperate means “going the right length and no further.” The Temperance Union when far beyond the dictates of Scripture, defining temperance as abstaining. The Apostle Paul explained a Christian leader is “not given to drunkenness.” He did not say, “not given to drink.” In fact, he even advised his spiritual son, Timothy, to “use a little wine” for his frequent illnesses.
But temperance is not just about drinking alcohol. We turned down my dad’s offer to pay for satellite T.V. because I would probably become intemperate in watching televised sports -- especially in the winter. Must I abstain from watching televised sports to avoid sin? Not if the watching is kept within proper bounds. A person who is spiritually mature can enjoy God’s good gifts without letting them control him. But if televised sports controls my mind or hinders my studies or distracts me from fathering, then I am being intemperate. A person can be intemperate in innumerable ways: “A man who makes his golf or his [motorcycle] the centre of his life or a woman who devotes all her thought to clothes or bridge or her dog, is being just as “intemperate” as someone who gets drunk every evening.”
Though some addictions -- addicts are created by intemperance -- are judged more leniently by Christians, God isn’t fooled: “[Drunkenness] does not show on the outside so easily; bridge-mania or golf-mania do not make you fall down in the middle of the road. But God isn’t deceived by externals.”
2005/11/29
2005/11/21
Leadership, Part 2
In I Tim.2 Paul begins a lengthy section on male leadership. (This doesn’t mean that women can’t be leaders. There are simply differences in where and how that leadership is expressed.) But how should this male leadership be exercised? “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.” (I Tim.2:8) Paul said that the proper expression of leadership begins with prayer.
What normally happens when there are conflicts? Paul explained that we are to pray “without anger or disputing” because he knew our tendencies in conflict. Letting our anger flare and jumping into the fray, we try to persuade, argue, explain, justify. We want it our way and we want it now!
“Stop teasing your brother!”
“Can’t we have a little peace and quiet around here?!”
“No, I was not upset! What makes you think I was upset?!”
"Can't you handle a little correction?"
Biblical leadership is not heavy on commands or demands. It is heavy on service. And what better way to serve others than by praying for them?
Throughout his earthly ministry Jesus put an emphasis on prayer (Mk.1:35-39) -- he even thought it more important than sleep! (Ouch! It is painful to reflect on how important sleep is to me.) Prayer was also a higher priority than ministry or other’s agendas.
Our world desperately needs men whose first response to conflict is to lift their hearts to God’s throne, releasing their attempts to control situations and seeking God’s guidance and strength. “Lord, help me to see this conflict as you do. Help me see my own role in this conflict accurately. Help me not to become defensive. Help me not look for excuses. Help me not to act before I have heard from you and given you time to work.”
What normally happens when there are conflicts? Paul explained that we are to pray “without anger or disputing” because he knew our tendencies in conflict. Letting our anger flare and jumping into the fray, we try to persuade, argue, explain, justify. We want it our way and we want it now!
“Stop teasing your brother!”
“Can’t we have a little peace and quiet around here?!”
“No, I was not upset! What makes you think I was upset?!”
"Can't you handle a little correction?"
Biblical leadership is not heavy on commands or demands. It is heavy on service. And what better way to serve others than by praying for them?
Throughout his earthly ministry Jesus put an emphasis on prayer (Mk.1:35-39) -- he even thought it more important than sleep! (Ouch! It is painful to reflect on how important sleep is to me.) Prayer was also a higher priority than ministry or other’s agendas.
Our world desperately needs men whose first response to conflict is to lift their hearts to God’s throne, releasing their attempts to control situations and seeking God’s guidance and strength. “Lord, help me to see this conflict as you do. Help me see my own role in this conflict accurately. Help me not to become defensive. Help me not look for excuses. Help me not to act before I have heard from you and given you time to work.”
2005/11/10
Developing Leaders, I Timothy 1
Leadership is a hot, if not new, topic. Nearly 2000 years ago the apostle Paul was concerned about developing leaders to help him preach the gospel. Paul’s short letters to one of these recruits, Timothy, gives us a glimpse into the nature of mature Christian leadership and how it develops.
Paul’s impact as developer of leaders was based on the depth of his relationship to his recruits. Timothy -- who had a Christian mother but a pagan father -- was called Paul’s “true son in the faith.” (1:3) Like all boys, Timothy probably longed for a biological father who would have led and guided him into the truth. But Paul became his spiritual father. Though Timothy struggled at times with fulfilling his ministry (he withdrew when he experienced rejection), Paul seldom blasted him. Even when he disappointed Paul, Paul told his son that he “longed to see him.”
Not long ago I was having a conversation with a man who has been in Bible studies of mine for the past 15-20 years. He thanked me for my input in his life but then added: “I wish we had had more time together.” I know what he was asking for. He wanted more lunches or an occasional walk or an afternoon of fishing -- time to enjoy being together which would include a more leisurely pace to our conversations. Some issues can’t be discussed in a thirty minute appointment. Paul had this kind of casual time with Timothy as they traveled from city to city establishing and encouraging new churches.
Virginia Stem Owens has written that when parents talk about having “quality” time with their kids, they are often hoping that they can “dehydrate life to avoid the dull spots.” Her point is that it is in those “dull spots” that we find some of the best opportunities to pass on our values to our kids -- driving in a car together, watching a movie, working in the yard. If we want to influence those we are leading, we must plan chunks of unstructured time with them.
Paul’s impact as developer of leaders was based on the depth of his relationship to his recruits. Timothy -- who had a Christian mother but a pagan father -- was called Paul’s “true son in the faith.” (1:3) Like all boys, Timothy probably longed for a biological father who would have led and guided him into the truth. But Paul became his spiritual father. Though Timothy struggled at times with fulfilling his ministry (he withdrew when he experienced rejection), Paul seldom blasted him. Even when he disappointed Paul, Paul told his son that he “longed to see him.”
Not long ago I was having a conversation with a man who has been in Bible studies of mine for the past 15-20 years. He thanked me for my input in his life but then added: “I wish we had had more time together.” I know what he was asking for. He wanted more lunches or an occasional walk or an afternoon of fishing -- time to enjoy being together which would include a more leisurely pace to our conversations. Some issues can’t be discussed in a thirty minute appointment. Paul had this kind of casual time with Timothy as they traveled from city to city establishing and encouraging new churches.
Virginia Stem Owens has written that when parents talk about having “quality” time with their kids, they are often hoping that they can “dehydrate life to avoid the dull spots.” Her point is that it is in those “dull spots” that we find some of the best opportunities to pass on our values to our kids -- driving in a car together, watching a movie, working in the yard. If we want to influence those we are leading, we must plan chunks of unstructured time with them.
2005/11/06
Confession
As you have recognized I haven't updated this for the past two weeks. Three weeks ago my dad broke his hip and last week my wife broke her foot. I'm working on a new series on leadership -- I'll have a new post in a few days. Thanks for your patience.
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