All of us are in one way or another in a position of leadership with influence on others, therefore everyone has the opportunity to lead for God. In this passage, Paul instructs Timothy on how to be a godly leader who prioritizes the right things. He tells Timothy to dismiss strange and esoteric teaching, refusing to focus on it. Timothy should also refute legalism and guide the focus of the church to core important teaching, like who Jesus is and salvation by faith, instead of going off on tangents. Dustin White gives his testimony.

God has designed the church to be overseen by a plurality of leaders. This keeps the top leaders of the church accountable to one another, keeps the church safe, avoids a man-centered attitude in the church, and makes the leadership more available to the members. Paul says that elders of the church need to have a good reputation, an absence of flagrant disqualifying sin, their sexuality under control, spiritual sobriety and alertness, and mental stability.

Paul continues to describe the characteristics to look for in raising up Christian leaders. They should be well-ordered and stable, hospitable and welcoming to strangers, familiar enough with the Bible to teach it to others, without substance/alcohol abuse, not violent, gentle, and someone who resolves conflict. If we are to become an influence for God, it requires complete character reconstruction that is only possible through God's power to change lives. This is God's will for all believers and leads to an incredible sense of purpose and value!

Paul tells Timothy to raise up leaders who are free from the love of money. Loving God and loving money are mutually exclusive - it is impossible to pursue both! Material greed doesn't just change our value system away from what God values, but it actually warps our perception of what we need to be content and leads to constant worrying. But if we pursue God's kingdom instead of money, God says he will give us all that we need.