The overseer must… manage his own family well… (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)… A deacon must… manage his children and his household well. 1 Timothy 3:3, 4, 5, 8, 12 (NIV)
A man’s ability to lead others will be seen in the way he manages his own home. No home is without its problems. If you have stress in your personal life, it does not disqualify you from being a pastor or elder.
The key issue is a man’s ability to manage his life and to give leadership to his family. This is managerial competence.
Every home is chaotic at times, but God brings order out of chaos, and an effective leader has the ability to do this too. If a man cannot bring order to his own home and manage his own life, how can he bring order to the house of God and help others?
Paul also has a word for the wives of pastors, elders, and other leaders: “In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything” (3:11). A man’s wife can make or mar his ministry. Make it your prayer that you will expand your husband’s usefulness to Christ. Cultivate a deep desire that your husband should become everything God calls him to be. Do all you can to contribute to that, and be ready to change any pattern of behavior that would limit the work of God through him.
If you are an aspiring leader, begin by managing yourself. As you grow, you will do better managing your family. Build success there, and you will grow in usefulness to Christ. Here’s the principle: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10).
If you are married, do you have a growing desire to expand your husband’s usefulness to Christ? If you are an aspiring leader, are you still learning to manage yourself? Are you learning to manage your family? Are you ready for more?
