In his first letter to Timothy, Paul describes what a Christian leader should be like. He writes,
“If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.”
1 Timothy 3:1-3
Most people who aspire to qualify for a certain job think about certain things in order to improve their chances: honing their relevant skills, looking for connections with important people they can use as references, beefing up their resume. But in the Lord’s eyes, the most important qualification for someone who aspires to be a leader isn’t capabilities or connections – it’s character.
The list of qualities Paul describes paints a picture of a person of mature Christian character, someone whose faith has had a concrete and lasting impact on how they conduct themselves in everyday situations.
How can you invite the Lord into your challenges today (both small and great) and allow him to form you into the character of Jesus Christ?
How can he make you ready and equipped to take to on the responsibility of leadership given to a mature son or daughter of God?
This reflection by Alex Kilpatrick is excerpted from the Pray by Day column featured in the Sword of the Spirit website.
Top image credit: Anton Collela, from the Community of the Risen Christ in Glasgow, Scotland, speaks to young leaders and university staff workers at a Kairos training conference. Photo courtesy © Kairos EME 2025 – 2026.
Alex Kilpatrick is from the Work of Christ in Lansing, Michigan, USA.