Recent studies have indicated that Americans place healthcare very high on their list of priorities in life. If you have ever gone through the process of finding a doctor, it can be an overwhelming process. We review their credentials, research the medical school they attended and taking into consideration the list of board certifications in their pedigree. At the end of the day we want to answer the question, “is this person adequately equipped to address my medical conditions? Do they have the skills and training to make me healthy?” There is a universal recognition that practicing medicine is not something we are inherently born with, but the result of many years of rigorous training and supervised experience. Let’s face it, when it comes to our health we have high standards and the result has been one of the best medical care systems in the world.
If this is the result of our high regard for physical health, image if our spiritual health had the same level of standards? Are the leaders in our churches equipped to apply a biblical worldview to our modern day world? Have they been properly trained to receive not only the skills, but the confidence to address issues which face our everyday lives? Medical doctors not only receive training for the purpose of obtaining skills, but to develop confidence in their abilities to properly apply medical principles. This doesn’t merely apply to the medical profession, but many different professions, to include ministry. A necessary mark of a church leader is one who properly understand what the Bible teaches and has the confidence to teach others. When the Apostle Paul set out to encourage Timothy in the ministry he reinforced the confidence by which Timothy should lead by reminding him of what he had been taught and from whom he had learned (2 Tim 3:14). The equipping ministry of Paul played a significant role in developing the confidence necessary to lead. Yes, Timothy was affirmed by other leaders as having the gift of a teacher and leader in the church (1 Tim 4:14), but Paul did not neglect the remind him of the training he had received. It was not enough to have affirmation and gifting, but also training.
Leading in the church is more than simply knowing the Bible, but applying it to every aspect of life and teaching others to do the same. It involves properly interpreting the Bible to understand authorial intent and the message to the original audience before applying it in a way which addressed our modern culture. Our culture has become increasingly complex and a place which demands biblical answers to the questions surrounding topics such as same-sex marriage, advanced infertility treatments and euthanasia. If we are not adequately equipped to address these issues, Christians might be convinced that the only people who are educated enough to provide answers are the “experts” in the culture whose worldview foundation is anything but biblical. If we demand our medical doctors to be as equipped as possible to handle our physical needs, how much more should we demand the same for those who guard our spiritual lives. If we have been affirmed by our congregation to serve as leaders in our own church, we should desire to be as equipped as possible to serve those to whom God has called us.
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