Issue #98, January 30, 2013
Every manufacturing business is concerned with the quality of their product because they recognize that substandard products will hurt their reputation and ultimately destroy their business. So they invest large amounts of time and money in quality assurance programs to protect their profit. Christian leaders should be even more concerned about assuring the quality of those who lead. We represent God Himself in our business, church, school and home. Paul, in his letter to Timothy, a young servant leader, provides a checklist of qualities which are expected in each of our lives. He writes specifically to those called to be overseers in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 but the standards are useful for each of us in whatever place we exercise our leadership. In each of the next issues we’ll examine one of these from Paul’s list and find a biblical leader whose life illustrates this quality.
Before Paul goes into specifics, he begins his list with this general characteristic, “Now the overseer must be above reproach.” (NIV) We don’t often use the word reproach in modern speech. To live above reproach means to be above suspicion, blameless, and having clean hands. Let’s examine these more closely to understand what it looks like for a servant leader to live above reproach.
Living above reproach means to be above suspicion.
Leaders live in the open. Their lives are seen by many others who can quickly come to wrong conclusions about the action and motives of a leader. Some leaders do little to avoid suspicion and care little about whether or not their actions seem questionable. Suspicion is unsubstantiated but still drains trust from the relationship between the leader and follower. So a servant leader goes the second mile to avoid even the “appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22, KJV). The servant leader is concerned not only with whether or not one is technically guilty, but whether or not the action produces suspicion in the lives of those who follow.
Living above reproach means to be blameless.
When things go wrong, our human nature looks for someone to blame and the leader is often the target of this blame. Sometimes the charges are true and the leader is at fault. Paul calls us to a higher standard as servant leaders as he challenges us to be blameless. This does not mean perfection or no one would measure up. Servant leaders take responsibility for their mistakes and seek forgiveness when needed. But in addition, they live in such a way that their character and lives of integrity are blameless. Accusations made against them are so far from the truth that they don’t stick. Their leadership does not attract blame.
Living above reproach means to have clean hands.
Clean hands symbolize innocence. Blame and suspicion can be present even if no wrong has been done; clean hands indicate that no wrong has happened. Paul calls servant leaders to possess hands that are clean and bring no reproach to the One they serve.
Daniel was a biblical leader who was above reproach. His enemies tried to find fault with him but could not. They tried to corrupt him but he was blameless. His hands were clean. He passed the quality assurance checklist as a leader above reproach and provides a model for each of us to follow. Take a moment to ask yourself if your leadership is above reproach.
For further reflection and discussion:
- Am I content to be not guilty or do I strive to be above suspicion?
- Are there ways that I lead which give ground for others to suspect that something is not right in my life? How is God calling me to change?
- When I have been blamed for issues that happened under my leadership, were there elements of truth in the accusations? If so, how did that affect my ability to represent Christ?
- When I have made mistakes, have I taken responsibility to admit them and make things right as far as possible with me?
- Can I honestly say that my hands are clean? Are there areas of my life that no one even suspects but which I know to be unclean? What is God inviting me to do in response?