What sort of leaders do we look for? Some of us may look for people who know how to talk well; in other words, they have the “gift of the gab.” Some may look for people who are popular or knowledgeable. Some may look for people who have the charisma and talent to attract and hold a crowd. But what sort of leaders should we be looking for?
St. Paul in today’s reading tells us that the leader: “as president, he will be God’s representative, he must be irreproachable: never an arrogant or hot-tempered man, nor a heavy drinker or violent, nor out to make money; but a man who is hospitable and a friend of all that is good; sensible, moral, devout and self-controlled; and he must have a firm grasp of the unchanging message of the tradition, so that he can be counted on for both expounding the sound doctrine and refuting those who argue against it.”
Finding such leaders as what St Paul describes to us is certainly not easy. This is why we need to constantly pray and discern carefully. Sometimes God will prompt us to choose a particular leader, if we are observant, patient and humble enough to let Him guide us. Let us not rush into choosing our leaders at church, especially since there is always the temptation to get it done and over with. Sometimes we need to wait, and just as God pointed out David to Samuel, He too would point out a suitable leader to us, a leader who meets His requirements and designs: “for the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. (1 Sam 16:7)”