1 Tim 5 to me as Staff of InterVarsity pt-1

God help me to read 1 Timothy 5 and believe you have something for me. That you desire to grow and teach me through this. As a young leader or pastor like Timothy help me to relate to Timothy and the aspects of leadership Paul is instructing him on.

1 Tim 5
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

Thank you God, already I feel this relates to me. God there are men in this fellowship that I ask for your help to be gentle with and yet rebuke when necessary. Give me patience and respect for them. Help me to exhort vs be angry or frustrated with them. Remind them and help me to remind these men that they are an important part of the community!

God we only have a few upperclassmen women in our community so help us to honor them and ask for their wisdom. Please raise up mature women of God to step up as the mothers of this fellowship. God guide me as staff in interactions with women in and outside our fellowship that I might honor the upperclassmen women and treat all women with absolute purity. This is a challenge as you also call me to shepherd and lead women. Please protect their hearts and create beautiful brother sister relationships so that I can lead them well with truth and without complications in that. 

1 Tim 5
Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame.

Paul gives these instructions for Timothy to give to his people the church in Ephesus. God I ask for your instructions to give to the CU IV fellowship. In that help people to know the truth and the right way that no one may be open to blame. But also in speaking through us as leaders free us from whether people follow these instructions. We can teach and encourage but we are not responsible for their choices. God give us strength and compassion to lead but root our identity in you that we would not be rocked by the choices and sins of others. Let our identity and treasure be in you God not in the numerical or measured success of our ministry. 

Part 1 - I hope to come back to the rest that God has for me in 1 Timothy 5
Amen