When the Church prepares to select a man to fill the office of elder, they must look for a man who is filled with love. However, they must beware of men who possess the wrong kind of love. An elder should not be a man who loves money more than the Lord; nor should he love power and influence more than Christ, since he must be committed to service and sacrifice for the good of the Church. Moreover, the selection of an elder should also not be a popularity contest, where each seeks to win the largest share of the people's praise. And a faithful elder must be committed to discipleship of the people of God, even when it's unpopular.
As the Church seeks to elect an elder, we must remember that we are looking for a Christ-like man – not Christ. No human being is perfect; even the best of Church leaders will struggle with sin, as the Apostles themselves did. Besides, Christ Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is already and always with us! So we should be looking for a man who is striving to imitate our Savior as much as possible.
The Church would do well to remember that the qualities which we desire to see in an elder are also qualities that ought to be practiced by all the people of God. The elders and church leaders, however, ought to take the lead role in these qualities – and it starts with love! |
