Christians in Paul’s day were much like those in ours. Those with worldly wealth often assumed that they were superior to those in the church who were poor. Unfortunately in our churches today, we can often cater to those with money and worldly influence. Who do we put on the elder or deacon boards? Who serves on the finance committee? Who does the minister befriend? Who wields the most influence in church business meetings? Often it is those who wield the most worldly influence.
In the church, godliness should be the measure by which we allot influence. We pay heed to the prayer warrior’s comments more readily than the person with the highest annual income. We seek counsel from those most like Christ, not those who put the most money in the offering plate. We elect into leadership those with the greatest servant heart, not the largest tax bracket. Humility ought to be predominant among church leaders and pride ought to be scarce.
Our problem is that too often we try to run our churches by using the world’s methods. We assume that administrative ability, and financial acumen are keys to good church leadership. We end up with churches that function just like a secular business. The world will not be drawn to Jesus because we operate like it does. Be sure you are operating with God’s standards.