1 Tim 3:1

"Here is a trustworthy saying, whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task."

I spent three days walking on this verse and nothing really hit me about it. There were several things I was thinking through, but nothing really came to me. I wondered why Paul felt the need to declare another statement trustworthy as he had done about a chapter earlier. I wondered what was so noble about the task. ( The coming verses explain much of the nobility of the desire so I will not spend time with that here). I also spent time thinking about what it means to aspire to this role. Is this a calling or simply a desire to serve. I think both.

Then something hit me as to the nobility to this desire, ignobility! There are so many ignoble things in this world to pursue and regretfully most men, even many in the church, pursue these desires. They have said no to money, no to power, no to pleasure. They have refused to focus on filling their storehouses with earthly treasure. They have and are working to beat lesser pleasures, lesser gods into the ground. They have rejected what man values for what God values. This is noble!


Col 3:1-3 tells us to set our hearts on things above where Christ our hope sits. This is noble. This is where we are to set our vision and striving to be men who can lead the church these men have truly set their hearts on things above. They have decided not to store up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy. They have openly said I forsake the pleasures of the world to the greater reward. They have said as Jim Elliott did "he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

I wanted to come back and share two other thought that hit me about the nobility of this desire. First, is the understanding of the great scrutiny you are about to go through. Following this verse, Paul spends the rest of the chapter outlining the standards such a man match up to. By desiring such a task, you desire the scrutiny that comes with the process. You in essence are saying, open my life up bear, and test it.

Secondly, leading in the church in the first century (and still today in many countries) means the first to suffer persecution, danger, and possibly death for Christ. You put yourself on the frontlines as a symbol for the church. For those who desire to destroy the church, the leader is often the first mark. We have seen that here even in Mexico as pastors have been threatened by Narcos who see that they have Americans in the congregation and think they can get money from the church because of them. You are saying, I can stand for Christ through pressure.