God's call to ministers of the gospel: be faithful first personally!

I have been in an in depth study of 1 Timothy with my friend Jonathan. We have been listening as young men ourselves to Paul's instruction to Timothy. What we have found again and again is:

We can't focus on outward ministry to others unless we are seeking God ourselves.

The way we call others to hard things and the truth has to be rooted in us believing and also living out this lifestyle. We are called to set an example. When we live this way we are not hypocritical and we have the character needed to be worth following.

Here is Paul's final charge to Timothy a young church leader in this letter to him.

1 Timothy chapter 6

¹¹ But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. 

Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 

I charge you ¹⁴ to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. 
Amen.

God I confess I have often especially in the past year been inconsistent and unfaithful in my own serious devotion and seeking of you God. I have tried to lead others while not first seeking you and your words and life in my own personal life. 

But you God are faithful. You continually call me back into deeper fellowship with you. And you continue to call me to leadership. You do not let my failure disqualify me or others from ministry or evangelism. 

And you have given me tangible ways to live this call out. On a prayer walk last week you gave me the idea to add hours to my work week with InterVarsity and use them to first spend time in devotions, study, prayer etc with you God each day before I go try to lead others. Lord I pray that you would help me to be faithful and disciplined in seeking you. But let it be joyful and just a relationship. I want my love for you God to be as beautiful and diverse and life giving as my dating relationship with Ivanna! For I want to love you first God! But I admit it is hard and I often don't put you first God. God you are such a faithful Father to love me even as I often don't love you back well at all. Change my heart. I want to fight the good fight of faith and fight for my faith in you God!
Amen