"He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)"
I really enjoyed this walk it gave me quite a bit of time to reflect on family and what it means to be a father. It was quite encouraging and challenging.
To me this sometimes seems to be one of the most obvious qualification for leadership in the church. The idea of family, big or small. Your family, God's family. The prinicples of leadership in both are very similar. The things that should drive a father in the home should also drive a leader in the church.
A man must care enough to invest his life in his family. If a man is not investing in his natural children, there is no reason to believe he will care enough to invest in his spiritual children.
A father must have a heart of dedication. He should be willing to sacrifice, to even die for his children. This much is expected in a leader of the church. The issue of obedience of children is a moot point I believe when kids know how dedicated their parents are to their welfare above all else.
A father should desire above all else that his children know and desire to follow Christ. If he fails to have this desire for his kids, it will not magically appear for others.
A father must teach his children in Biblical truth, therefore setting a precedent for his leadership of others in the church.
Church leadership should never cause a man to lose his family. If it does, the whole point has been lost.
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