What a gorgeous slightly crisp morning. Today I was reading in 1 Tim 3:4-7 where it talks about qualifications of an overseer. But it hit me another way as it talks home life, church life, public life and in each there is a constancy of a walk with Christ.
I thought about how it is so easy to get entrapped by image management and control to such a degree that we can work hard to present ourselves in a way that is less than authentic - or we can have hidden things that the church never sees that are darkness in home life or we can subtly reject Christ in our public life to be ‘like-able and ‘fit in’. But these verses really underscore a direction in all three settings that is grounded in a walk with God that is not compartmentalized in any way! It made me ponder, who am I in any of these settings?
My heart's desire is NO BREACH or walls between each but instead an openness, a vulnerability, an honesty, and a readiness to share hope that puts Jesus on display in a manner that honors Him. But most all that my speech, attitude, and framework is NOT simply an ‘image’ for the moment or situational but instead, stemming from a root structure in Christ that is deliberate and directional with a continuous forethought of impact to those around me (even when no one is physically around!).
It would have been easy for me to read these verses and skip over saying "I’m not an overseer." However, in reality all believers are, to a degree, because we are to be our brothers keeper and how I live my life in EVERY setting has deep spiritual impact on the strength of the ‘keeping’ in the spiritual realm.
I deeply appreciated this reminder today and want to treasure in my heart as the framework for authentic living!
Love,
Cari
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