I have been asked by the nominating committee at our church to consider becoming a deacon. I have been praying diligently about this decision, but I still have some reservations. For one, this seems like a huge commitment- a 3 year term in a serious leadership capacity. I believe it would require extraordinary amounts of maturity, time, energy, compassion and love. Do I possess enough of these elements to be successful? Quite simply, no. Can God endow me with these gifts to be used for His purposes? Yes, I firmly believe that I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. So, it all boils down to whether God is calling me to this ministry.
I've gone over the Biblical requirements for becoming a deacon, and it's a pretty daunting list. I'm humbled that my church leaders believe I meet the minimum criteria:
Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.
It is hard to evaluate oneself as to being worthy of respect. I believe I am sincere. I do enjoy wine and other adult beverages from time-to-time. It is easy for me to rationalize whether I indulge "in much wine", although I'm sure that I have had too much on more than a few occasions. I believe that the principle behind this statement is in maintaining a Christian witness, and being controlled by the Holy Spirit, rather than alcohol. This is something that I need to carefully consider as I weigh this decision, whether I am willing to be an example of these high expectations in terms of 'godliness', all without being fake and insincere.
They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
I have no conflict with the deep truths of the faith. I occasionally have doubts concerning my faith, but it always stems from my human frailty, not doubts about who God is, or what He has done in my life. Our church puts deacon candidates through a rigorous set of questions, and I have no reason to believe they will find my doctrinal qualifications lacking.
Knowing the truth, and living the truth are two different matters though. I don't like to admit my short-comings, but it is safe to say that my conscience has not always been clear. The fact that I care about my ongoing fellowship with God, and ask Him for forgiveness when I sin, allows me to boldly proclaim His truth. That's probably the best that I can offer on this point.
In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers, but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
I suppose this is one of the things that I really have going for me, a beautiful Christian wife who is worthy of great respect. My wife wants me to make sure that if I do this, I do it for the right reasons. I am sometimes idealistic in terms of what I think I can accomplish in these situations. My wife would do an excellent job of giving me support and counsel to fulfill the ministry of Deacon- if I am truly called to the job.
A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
I have but one wife. I've also never been divorced, which seems to be the controversial issue in Evangelical churches in our culture. I believe that the marriage relationship is one of the best portraits of Christ's love for the church. In that context, I can better comprehend why God has placed this criteria in the job description for service. Another great testimony of the gospel message is God our heavenly Father's love for His children. Being a good family man would, therefore, also be a tremendous witness to the awesome power of Christ's redemption.
Deacon literally means "servant". As a Christian, we are each called to serve God. However, the original Deacons were set apart for a particular set of tasks in service to their congregation. In my church, these tasks are to serve as leadership body in support of the Pastoral staff. The Deacons are each assigned a care-group to shepherd, making sure that their families and individuals are plugged into our body, and have their physical and spiritual needs met. The Deacons also deliver the Lord's Supper to the congregation. Viewed from this perspective, these are tasks that I can perform.
The most noteworthy deacon that comes to mind is Stephen, said to be "a man full of of faith and of the Holy Spirit". After he was appointed to the deacon ministry, he was seized by opponents of his miraculous signs and bold proclamations of the Gospel. He preached a Spirit inspired message to the men of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling body, and was then stoned to death- 'And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.'
This is the high calling that I am hesitant to pursue. Lord, please give me clear direction as to whether you desire me to follow this path.
