Temperate

October 5

Jeremiah 1-2

Psalm 109:9-20

Proverbs 24:13-14

I Timothy 3

Temperate

“Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.”  1 Timothy 3:11 LSB

I Timothy 3 gives the qualifications for elders and deacons in the church.  It stresses the importance of integrity, character and conduct.  It also stresses the need for leaders in the church to manage their families well.  As believers, our first priority is to God and then to our family.  After that is our vocational responsibilities.  Even for ministers, God and family come first.  This is a difficult balance.  Ministers are expected to be available to the congregation at all times.  Unlike a job where we are expected to work 40-50 hours a week and then the rest of our time is available for family and leisure, the minister is just expected to be available whenever they are needed.  They have normal office hours and on top of that they have to serve on Sundays, Wednesday nights, be available for weddings, funerals, hospital visits, and any other time those in their congregation “need” their pastor.  They serve willingly and sacrificially, but as members of the body we need to be sensitive to the fact that they need to be available to their family first and foremost.  We need to provide support to them so that they can take care of their families and attend to their needs. 

In the middle of these instructions about the leaders is a verse about the women in the church.  I think Paul included this because he understood the importance of the role of women in the church.  While women are not to be elders and deacons, they serve a vital role in the function of the body.  Women are the backbone of any congregation.  They serve behind the scenes and perform many of the essential tasks that keep everything flowing smoothly.  Without their contribution, the church could not function and fulfill its ministry.  Paul was reminding the women that their role is important and their conduct matters.  He encouraged them to be dignified and temperate.  They were to be worthy of respect and exhibit self-control in their actions.  And Paul was obviously well acquainted with women because he understood that we like to talk.  Unfortunately, excessive talking can lead to gossip and Paul was attempting to discourage women in the church from engaging in malicious gossip.  Women who are in positions of leadership in the church often have access to information that is personal and should not be shared.  It is essential that they treat that information with the utmost discretion and do not abuse the trust they have been given.  And they are to be faithful in all things.  Those in leadership positions are held to a higher standard and they must live lives that are above reproach.