Reference no: EM131614968
250 words each Current Turabian format must be used. And REF
When looking at the character traits that I believe to be most important for a leader my favorite passage to reference is Titus 1. Titus 1:6-9 says "6 An elder must be blameless: the husband of one wife, with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion.
7 As an overseer of God's household, he must be blameless: not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it." Titus is very clear about how one in leadership should be acting or rather the standard of life that they need to be living by.
Titus 1 speaks to the life style that they should live at home as well as how they should live and act everywhere else. Titus 1:6 is very clear to the standards that those who are in leadership should have with their family. Paul writes to Titus saying that those in leadership should be good to their family as well they should have their attitudes in check.
I believe that there are many traits that are important to a leader-teacher. However there are two traits that I believe are the most important for the leader-teacher much have. Now I understand that there is no perfect leader or teacher. There was only one man who was both a perfect leader and a perfect teacher and that was Jesus. With that being said he did give us an example to follow in the gospels.
The biblical trait that I believe is the most important trait for a leader-teacher to have is the trait of being above reproach. What does it mean for a leader-teacher to be above reproach? It means that the leader-teacher has a reputation that support's their ministry.[1] This is very important because if a person who is teaching and preaching the Word of God does not walk what he preaches it will undermine his whole ministry.
Also it is important to have an above reproach reputation with those who do not yet believe in Jesus. I feel that to many leader-teachers do not have a good reputation with those outside of the church. If we look at the gospels and the life that Jesus led he had a very good reputation with those who were considered the worst of the worst. He was always found among those who were considered outkasts of the day. I believe we need to get back to the basics and reach out to those who are outside the walls of our buildings.
The classical trait that I believe is most important for the teacher-leader to have is that of love. Leader-teachers much develop hearts of compassion and a willingness to care profoundly about those they serve. [2] Love is the most important thing that a leader-teacher can have.
Two of the greatest commandments that Jesus ever gave was love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and the second was to love your neighbors as your self. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul says that the greatest of all traits is love. I believe that until a leader-teacher can learn to love well, they will never be able to connect well.