1 Timothy 3:1-13
"Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
8Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
11In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.12A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and
must manage his children and his household well. 13Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus."
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Last night my dear husband, was voted Deacon of our church. The luck belongs to the Lord. There are no such things as accidents, since all is in the hands of our Sovereign Lord. All good things and all that looks bad from the outside. There is NOTHING in the entire universe that God has no control over. Every action and every sin, every glory and every fall, every thought and every deed, everything that goes on in this world whether we like to acknowledge it or not, is under God, and that is why we serve Him. The ALL Mighty God.
Yesterday, was an act of God's sovereignty. By unanimous vote, V was elected deacon of our church. With it, comes a big joy and responsibility to follow the directions given by God in His holy word according to the deacon and for the wife and his children. It is not a matter of him serving, but it involves us immediately. As for me, the weight of the "job" is heavy... I am expected to help him. I must be temperate!! -no extreme in behaviour- (if you know me, you know it will be hard for asking to be temperate to a character like mine,where my emotions are very easily exposed.... hmmm... I am appreciating more and more my husband's "temperate" character, because I know how hard it is to achieve it...!!). I am to be worthy of respect ( I like to think that of myself, but I will see as I'm tested by the Lord in this).... by the way I speak, talk, dress, care for others,...
My children... obey with the proper respect. They also are to act in a way that reflects the position of their father at home and that will either speak well of him or not. The same way, we are to behave to reflect Jesus Christ to extend His fame.
Any how... we are excited of this new time in our lives, and looking forward to the work of the Lord in our lives though this. Please pray for us. That we will achieve through Him the character of a servant, because as in today, we fall VERY short to the standard of a deacon. And it humbles us to think how high we are measured against... and how impossible it will be for us to ever get to those standards.. and that is why I say that Luck belongs to the Lord... because if those are the standards, there is no way we fit in them. It is only by the grace of God that we will be an acceptable offering of service to Him.
May God help my dear husband in this task, and the boys and myself to be of good testimony and help to him.
