By John McIntosh
The story is told (supposedly true) of a missionary who was sitting at her window when the mail arrived. She opened a letter from home and out fell a crisp ten dollar bill. As she read the note accompanying the money, her eye was caught by the sight of a poorly dressed man on the street below. Thinking the man was probably not very well off, she placed the bill in an envelope upon which she wrote, “Don’t Despair,” and tossed it out the window. The man picked up the envelope, opened it, and looked up at her smiling and tipped his hat.
The next day there was a knock at the door, opening it she found the man from the previous day holding out a handful of cash to her.
“What’s this? I don’t understand,” she said.
“Lady,” he replied, “it’s your cut. ‘Don’t Despair’ paid five to one yesterday.”
Maybe rather than “Don’t Despair” to the question of who you have in mind to replace you someday, you may be betting on the horse, “Don’t Sweat It.” The fact is you and I are closer to the finish line of ministry today than we were a few months ago when we met in this section of the paper. You and I need to think about it. Success without a successor is failure.
As Paul outlined this person for Timothy in II Timothy 2:2, he told his protege to be thinking about and looking for … “faithful men.” Faithful men follow through and do what they say that they will do. Our God is a faithful God because He does what He says that He will do. Faithful men are the key to getting the message of the gospel to the next generation. Here are ten practical suggestions of what this faithful man looks like in your congregation from the context of II Timothy 2:2.
- He is able to teach. He is capable of communicating biblical truth to people in a way that helps them understand the principle and its application in their lives (2:2b).
- He accepts ill-treatment. Hardship is a fundamental part of leadership. A man who believes that life must always be fair and just is a man who disqualifies himself as a faithful man. Life does not work that way and the faithful man is the person who handles life’s injustices with patience and gentleness (2:3, 4, 24, and 25).
- He plays by the rules. Sometimes a leader can be known for his cavalier attitude toward God-given authority (2:5). The faithful man knows what is expected and performs within the guidelines the group has adopted for everyone.
- He works hard. There are times when ministry does not have set hours. The faithful man does not serve on an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. clock. He remains until the job is done (2:6).
- He remains focused on Jesus Christ. The faithful man has a God consciousness that enables him to see the sovereign hand of God in every circumstance whether he fully understands it or not (2:8-13). He always remembers Jesus Christ.
- He is not a word-wrangler. Men who wrangle about words are driven by their own agenda rather than the group’s agenda (2:14). They see people as assets or liabilities in helping them get to where they want to go. Liability-people are sidelined. Co-workers never get a settled feeling that the word-wrangler is telling the entire truth.
- He seeks God’s approval. He is in touch with the reality that as a leader, he will one day stand before the Lord and give account of his stewardship as a leader (2:15). Therefore he is diligent in handling accurately “the word of truth.”
- He refrains from the gangrene of ‘unchristian babbling.’ Because the faithful man handles the word of truth accurately, he does not allow himself to get into religious speculation that infects, rather than energizes, the congregation (2:16-18).
- He abstains from wickedness. He does not allow it to affect his vocabulary, his attitude, or his conduct (2:19). The faithful man refrains from functioning in prolonged evil thinking and conduct.
- He pursues righteousness. The faithful man is not interested in the lusts of the younger man. Matters of faith, love, and peace from a pure heart are the values that drive him in his personal life (2:22). They motivate him as a faithful leader in the church as well.
Don’t be entrusting yourself and your church to the prospect of a ten dollar envelope falling out of the sky. Take the things that the Lord has entrusted to you and purpose to entrust them into the lives of faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Success without successors is failure.
Editor’s Note: The 2008-2009 moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, John McIntosh is challenging the fellowship to consider the leaders of tomorrow. He has led the Simi Valley (Calif.) Grace Brethren Church since 1983.