An Elder Should Not Be Arrogant - Leadership Matters, Lesson 6

With a damp and dirty towel tied around his waist, and a basin of filthy water in his hands, he rose to his feet. He had just washed the dusty feet of his twelve disciples, including those of his betrayer. This act, generally reserved for the lowliest of house servants, but now performed by the Son of God, had unsettled his disciples. Their dismay gave Jesus the perfect opportunity to teach them a valuable lesson about leadership.

He begins by affirming his status as Teacher and Lord, “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.” His act of humble service was not a renunciation of his Lordship, but the perfect expression of it. His was a servant-leadership, and a humble-lordship. He then instructs them to follow his example, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” If they truly wanted to follow Jesus, they would have to learn to lead with humility.

In that moment, Jesus was setting the standard for Christian leadership. If he was willing to kneel down before his unworthy disciples and wash their dirty feet, then they would have no business elevating themselves any higher than he. He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” By his act of humble service, Jesus set the ceiling for human pride. If he, the master, was willing to lay aside his status to serve others, then how much the more his servants? Every time they acted in pride, it would be as if they were exalting themselves above their sovereign Lord. Their every claim to status or prestige would be a claim of greater worthiness than Jesus, who laid it all aside for sinners (cf. Php 2).

From thenceforth his followers would forever be constrained by his example of humble service. The very moment that any of them found themselves acting in arrogance, rivalry, conceit or pride, they would be struck by the image of the Lord of Glory, kneeling at their dirty feet.  If they were to be his faithful under-shepherds, they too would have to learn to live, not for their own pleasure, but in service to others.

An Elder Must Not Be Arrogant

As the apostle Paul described for Titus the qualifications of a man fit for eldership, he first told him that such a man must be above reproach. That is, a qualified man stands beyond legitimate criticism or accusation. Paul then goes on to give a sample of the character qualities which contribute to such a reputation. He says:

Titus 1:7 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,

A potential elder must not be arrogant. The word for “arrogant” here can be translated self-willed, obstinate, stubborn, overbearing or more literally, “one who pleases himself.” It is used in only one other place in scripture where it refers to the stubborn rebellion of unbelievers (2 Pet 2:10). Unsurprisingly, God explicitly states that he hates arrogance.

Proverbs 16:5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Arrogance is an abomination to the Lord because it is tantamount to self-worship. Whereas man’s chief duty is to love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, an arrogant man simply loves himself. He puts himself and his will before God and others. When enflamed, arrogance drives rebellion against God, and destroys relationships among men. It disrupts harmony in the church, and directly challenges the law of Christ. Arrogance is the antithesis of love, and so it has no place in the life of a Christian, let alone an elder.

The arrogant man is one who puts himself before others. This includes his own desires, opinions, feelings, and pleasures. Such a man is likely to use people, instead of serve them, and dominate them instead of lead them. Needless to say, arrogance is a fatal flaw which disqualifies a man from serving as an elder.

This is a very important warning because many congregations, in their desire to see rapid church growth, are guilty of adopting the world’s philosophy of leadership. They prioritize “getting things done” over doing things Christ’s way. Consequently, their lust for “growth” blinds them to the fact that beneath their desired qualities of assertiveness and drivenness, lurk the disqualifying traits of obstinance, stubbornness, selfish ambition, and pride. Their desire for ministry success, like Israel’s desire for a king, leads them to make fleshly decisions for short-term benefit, without heeding the Lord’s warning about giving authority to such men. Jesus promised that he would build his church, and so we would do well to submit to his design for leadership and then entrust him with the results.

Why Arrogance Disqualifies

Let’s consider for a moment in what ways arrogance runs counter-intuitive to an elder’s calling to serve as Christ’s under-shepherd.

First of all, as we explored in a previous chapter, an elder must view his calling as that of a steward and not an owner. He does not have the rights or authority of ownership, but only those which have been delegated to him by the master. An arrogant man will likely confuse stewardship with ownership and assert himself in areas which are beyond his authority. For instance, whereas ownership can focus upon the submission and service which it is owed by others, stewardship is driven by the submission and service it owes to its master.

The pastor who understands that his ministry is a stewardship will continually defer his own desires to that of his Lord. He will employ the Lord’s means, using the Lord’s methods, for the Lord’s glory and determine success according to the Lord’s measure. He will not rest in his own ingenuity, novel methods, or inventive means. Nor will he measure success by his own standards. Instead, he will operate in total submission to the Lord’s design for the church.

It's in this spirit that Paul reminded the Ephesian elders that they were made overseers by the Holy Spirit, over the church which God obtained with his own blood. They were appointed by God, to look after the people who belonged to God, and to do it in a way which pleased God. To forget that they served over the Lord’s people, at the Lord’s pleasure, would be to allow arrogance to creep in and disqualify them for the office.

Unlike Diotrephes of whom John wrote “likes to put himself first, [and] not acknowledge our authority;” the faithful elder stands with Paul stating, “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

An arrogant man will believe that the church belongs to him, and that it exists to serve his ends. The people are stepping stones on his own pathway to notoriety and success. He wants quick growth, a building program, and rapid expansion, believing the results can be credited to his own efforts, ingenuity and leadership.

Further, if the arrogant man sees others as mere stepping stones on the pathway to his own success, then he will see those he believes are standing in his way as impediments which need to be removed. People become dispensable in his drive to accomplish his personal goals. In this way, the arrogant man forgets that ministry is about people. He loses sight of the fact that their spiritual growth and success must come before any “vision” he might have for his own ministry. 

It’s the arrogant man who sees the church as a platform from which he can launch his ministry. Such a man will not be content with shepherding the flock which God has entrusted to him, but will instead look for recognition or notoriety outside the church. This is especially true in our present day when anyone can become an internet celebrity. The pastor who preaches to the camera, instead of his people is an arrogant man. The pastor who measures success by YouTube views, podcasts subscribers, or blog impressions, has forgotten his calling as a shepherd. Whereas Peter encourages elders to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you,” these men look for fulfillment in being recognized by a disparate collection of online followers. He has, in the name of “ministry,” fallen prey to the same lust for viral recognition which has infected the culture.

The allure of online notoriety is a real danger for pastors. God’s design for eldership is such that a qualified man must be recognized and affirmed by his local congregation. It’s within this context where his character is observed week-in and week-out. His own church can observe how he loves his wife, how he manages his household and how he measures up to every other qualification. On the other hand, the internet allows a man to become an online avatar. He can influence men and women the world over, who may appreciate his teaching, but know very little about his actual character. In this way, the Lord’s built-in protections against hypocrisy are circumvented and a man can avoid real accountability.

Consider for a moment that while the average church is under 200 members, any man can quickly amass many more followers online. If this man is arrogant, it is likely that his focus will shift to the area in which his ego is best stroked. He’ll gravitate to the online world where his character doesn’t matter, and where the obligation to maintain healthy relationships is minimized. He’ll direct his efforts to wherever he is most affirmed. Most destructively, he can bask in this online spotlight while the church which he is called to make his primary focus, languishes. The humble elder on the other hand, does not have a lust for such recognition or reward. Instead, like a faithful servant, he can serve others without accolades. He heeds the Lord’s admonition, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ (Luke 17:10)”

Arrogance disqualifies a man from eldership because an arrogant man will see the church as his own kingdom, people as his own servants, and his ministry in the local church as a launchpad for his own self-aggrandizement.

Next, consider that arrogance is a disqualifying character flaw because it will cause a man to see others as irritations, frustrations and inconveniences. Elders are called to minister to the weak-conscienced, the slow-growing, the backsliding, and the sinful. If a pastor’s goals are of higher value than the people’s spiritual development, then he will be tempted to become impatient and dismissive toward weak people. Their weaknesses become baggage to be shed, instead of burdens to be willingly borne. He, unlike Jesus, is not sympathetic toward the weaknesses of others, but is frustrated by them.

The faithful elder is to embody the attitudes which Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to show toward one another:

1 Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

People can often be frustrating, and that frustration can lead to impatience. Impatience, in turn, can tempt a pastor to resort to fleshly means to deal with problem people. The arrogant pastor will take matters into his own hands and attempt to bully people into compliance. In his prideful impatience, he will refuse to employ God’s means and methods and instead use his own. It’s this temptation to bully or dominate that led Peter to encourage elders to “shepherd the flock of God… as God would have you… not domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock (1 Pet 5:1-3).” A faith-driven patience and humility are essential in order to protect an elder from reacting impulsively and pridefully when he is challenged with frustrating people.

A humble pastor will maintain a continual awareness of his own potential weaknesses and his own need for encouragement from others. He will recognize that he has the same potential to become fainthearted and weak. He has a healthy vulnerability which reminds him of his own need to be ministered to by his fellow believers in the congregation. He knows that he needs the church as much as the church needs him. This humble self-awareness will serve the pastor well. When he is confronted with the struggles, temptations and weaknesses of others, he will not be quick to judge or criticize because, in their frailty, he sees a reflection of his own. He empathizes instead of dominating because he is well acquainted with his own shortcomings.

In contrast, the arrogant man feels that he lives on a plain above. In his mind, he is the teacher, not a student; the leader, not a follower; the physician, not a patient. This kind of arrogance leads him to believe that he is beyond the need for the means of grace. He doesn’t need to practice a diligent self-watch, nor should he be concerned about spiritual warfare. His position entitles him to indulge in liberties that others cannot. Of course, this is foolishness. The elder, above all people, should be humbly aware of his own weaknesses. He should recognize his own frailty and his own inability to fulfill his spiritual responsibilities without the Lord’s mercy and protection.

Ministering to the spiritually weak requires humility in another way. An elder must be willing to limit his personal liberties for the benefit of others (Rom 14; 1 Cor 8-10). While the elders patiently teach and exemplify Christian liberty, they must be longsuffering with those whose consciences have not yet been properly formed by scripture. To avoid offending immature believers, leaders are sometimes called upon to abstain from some legitimate Christian freedom. The self-willed man, however, will place his desires above the spiritual well-being of others. He is likely to argue over issues of liberty instead of limiting his own. In his selfishness, he will reject self-denial and so run roughshod over the weak consciences of those he has been called to protect. The humble leader on the other hand will willingly limit his Christian liberty while patiently helping others to learn about the freedom they have in Jesus.

In addition to dealing with weak people, elders are also called to deal with difficult people. At any given time, a pastor is charged with patiently ministering to proud, critical, argumentative, and divisive individuals. He is called to deal graciously with unbelieving opponents and to maintain a godly example amid a hostile culture.

When an arrogant man is challenged, he will likely respond in pride. He will dig in his heels, become defensive, and verbally attack. His arrogance, coupled with his gift with words can be a lethal combination. He lashes out with his tongue, and is willing to give others a verbal pummelling. Harshness, argumentativeness, and dismissiveness are all tools he frequently wields against his opponents.

Proud, divisive and argumentative people can’t tolerate proud, divisive, and argumentative people. Their arrogance requires that they tear the other one down. In contrast, the faithful elder understands that a soft answer turns away wrath, and that he who is slow to anger quiets contention. He does not see the difficult person as a challenger to be defeated, but as someone who could potentially be won through Christlike patience. This is exactly how the apostle Paul encouraged Timothy in a passage we will return to in a moment:

2 Timothy 2:24-26 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Gentleness, patience, endurance and a refusal to argue. None of these things are possible in the face of opposition if a man is arrogant. An arrogant man says, does, and reacts however he pleases. A faithful elder on the other hand, chooses his words, controls his actions and curbs his reactions, in the way which best serves others. He preaches the word, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with complete patience and teaching (2 Tim 4:2).

Next, arrogance disqualifies a man from eldership because he is called to serve alongside fellow elders as co-equals. Since we’ve already dealt with the idea of a plurality of elders in a previous chapter, we will only touch upon this idea here.  Suffice it to say that relationships of inter-dependency and mutual accountability which are required within a plurality of eldership are impossible if the elders involved are poisoned by pride. Instead of a fellowship of co-equals seeking the benefit of one another, the eldership either becomes a quarrelsome group of men vying for superiority, or an unhealthy band of yes-men who consistently capitulate to a dominate individual among them. In either scenario, arrogance kills a healthy eldership.

This is especially true if it is the senior pastor who is contaminated by arrogance. Instead of seeing himself as merely the first among equals, he will see himself as an irreplaceable leader upon whom the entire ministry hinges. Sadly, many churches and elder boards buy into the same delusions and so prop up disqualified men. Their belief that ministry success is dependent upon one man’s personality, charisma or giftedness leads them to overlook his faults. They fear that the ministry-kingdom he rules over, and which they benefit from, might crumble without him. In their misguided attempt to protect the “greater good,” they turn a blind eye to what should be disqualifying character flaws and allow the man to pollute Christ’s church through his self-willed leadership.

Other Disqualifications Which Flow from Arrogance

Many other of the fatal character flaws which disqualify a man from eldership flow out of arrogance. For the remainder of this chapter, we will consider just a few. First, let’s be reminded of the lists of qualifications as found in the pastoral epistles:

Titus 1:7-8 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

1 Timothy 3:2-3 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

Anger

The arrogant man believes he is owed respect, honour, privilege and service. So, what happens when he doesn’t receive these things? He can’t handle perceived injustices, disrespect or denials and so he loses his cool. He is quickly angered, often argumentative, and even potentially violent. James analyzes such a man:

James 4:1-2 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

Because the arrogant man is self-willed, he is quick to indulge his own passions, without self-control. He is willing to quarrel and fight for his own way, using fleshly tactics to get whatever he wants. Like a petulant child, the arrogant man throws a fit when things don’t go his way. However, because his anger, pugnacity and violence make him an unapproachable bully, he often does get whatever he wants. Very few are willing to stand up to him. Not because they agree with him but because they don’t want to deal with his temper. For most people, it is easier to give in, than to fight.

Consider what the Bible says about anger in the following passages and how it naturally disqualifies a man from eldership:

Proverbs 14:16-17 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless. 17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.

Proverbs 14:29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

Proverbs 19:11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

Whereas a qualified elder is sober-minded, an angry man lacks sense. Whereas a faithful pastor is to be self-controlled, an angry man is undisciplined in both his passions and reactions. Whereas a qualified elder is respectable, an angry man acts like a fool. Whereas a godly elder is a peacemaker, an arrogant man is a cause of argument and division. As is clear from all of this, a man given to anger is far from being above reproach and is therefore unequivocally disqualified from eldership.

Quarrelsomeness

In addition to anger, quarrelsomeness is an ever-present temptation to the arrogant man. He can’t stand others disagreeing with him, nor being told that he might be wrong. To him, having differing opinions or dissenting ideas is an unforgiveable offense. In his pride, he can’t conceive that opposing viewpoints might be correct (or partially correct) and so he is quick to either debate them, or dismiss them out of hand.

There are a number of aspects to the office of elder which require a man to be measured in how he responds to disagreement. For instance, how would the quarrelsome man respond to a dissenting fellow-elder? How would he respond to the church member who has taken issue with something he’s said in his sermon? How would he respond to that social media commenter who has chosen to be hostile? How would he choose to react to the challenges of a godless culture? Each of these require a man to be wise and measured with his words. A discipline which is entirely foreign to an arrogant man.

A pastor should not be quick to argue. Yet, sometimes it is the pastor who feels the most justified in doing so. Why? Because as a teacher of the word of God, he has grown accustomed to working in the realm of absolute truth, and speaking the word with authority. He can allow his calling to teach truth, and to refute error, to morph into some sort of arrogant justification for being combative. Whereas others clearly see his pugnacity, stubbornness, and opinionatedness, he sees himself as courageous, resolute, and uncompromising. He has forgotten that while he is called to refute error, he is also called to couple his truth-speaking with patience, kindness, humility, gentleness, and deference. In other words, he is called to speak the truth in love.

The hyper-politicization of our culture has brought the art of nuance to the brink of extinction. It seems that every debate must be left or right, black or white, right or wrong, good or evil, without any possibility of empathy or compromise from one side to the other. The humanity of the “other side” is forgotten and so they are easy to demonize. Each person is seen only for the ideas they hold and not for who they truly are as souls. This is exacerbated by social media where tribes holding dissenting views fight with the faceless avatars of the other side. It’s easy to forget tact and nuance when we are not directly confronted with the disapproving looks, or the uncomfortable body language of our opponents. Sadly, pastors, charged with teaching and defending the truth, are extremely susceptible to being pulled into this milieu - an arrogant pastor, vastly more so.

When faced with the temptation to join this contentious culture, and elder should think long and hard on Paul’s words to Timothy:

2 Timothy 2:24-26 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Paul assumes that Timothy will face serious opposition in Ephesus. So serious that Paul describes his opponents as doing the will of Satan. These individuals are sinful, deceived, propagating error, and senseless. Sound familiar? Yet, Paul is careful to point out that these people are also ensnared by Satan, having been captured by him to do his will. Paul would have Timothy maintain a balance. On the one hand, he must refute error, and on the other, he must recognize that those pushing the error are men and women in need of deliverance. They are not Satan, but are ensnared by Satan. And what is the key to freeing them from their bondage? A verbal pummeling? A public dressing down? Humiliation on social media? Legislation? No. The key to freeing them from their bondage is the patient teaching and gentle correction of godly men who care for their souls. What they need is a servant of the Lord, who sees people just like Jesus did – as harassed and helpless sheep in need of a shepherd.

This balance is hard because the culture has not only become increasingly reprobate, but also zealous in their imposition of their sin. They actively seek to indoctrinate while demanding affirmation and compliance. As we feel the increasing pressure of this growing hostility, it will become more difficult to maintain the balance to which Paul encouraged Timothy. However, we should remind ourselves that the state in Ephesus wasn’t much better than our own. Immorality, idolatry, severe spiritual warfare, and serious public opposition were all working against the church in Ephesus, and yet Paul still encouraged Timothy to maintain a gentle spirit.

As elders, we are under the same constraints as Timothy. No excuses about the sinfulness of our culture will do. Christ’s church has always been called to shine as lights in darkness, and to act as salt in the midst of decay. Our faith has been designed to rear up under such conditions and so our leadership should reflect this. Meekness, gentleness, patience and a refusal to quarrel are not idealistic traits saved for the good times, but are the fundamental character qualities which God has called every elder to embody, for all times.

As elders we must not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone. We should not only teach patiently, but patiently endure the evil all around us. Although we must refute error, we must also do so with gentleness and love.

The faithful elder does not quarrel. He can handle disagreements with grace, and respond to his opponents with gentleness. He is not quick to label his detractors as “heretics,” because he has a healthy conception of what are primary, secondary and tertiary issues. He recognizes that there are but a few hills fit to die on, and vast plains between them.

Dissenting fellow-elders, difficult church members, lost church votes, sermon critics, online opponents, a hostile culture, and so on. The elder will face many circumstances which tempt him to argue. His responsibility in each is to answer back to himself, “the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone…”

Conclusion

Here then is a warning for the church, sometimes that man who others look to as a “go-getter,” a “mobilizer,” a “defender of the truth,” and therefore a “great leader,” is also a man given to anger. He gets things done because he is willing to bully, intimidate, argue and otherwise throw his weight around. Yet, all of his accomplishments are hollow. They are not the product of the Spirit’s work, but of an arrogant man who has chosen to use fleshly means to get what he wants. James reminds us:

James 1:19-20 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Whatever success this arrogant, angry man has experienced is not the product of the Holy Spirit, but of his own selfish ambition. Time will eventually reveal the hollowness of his ministry and the corruption of his character. James again tells us:

James 3:14-18 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

You can be assured that no matter what good or what success others may be attributing to that “dynamic leader,” if he’s bullied his way to the top, he will one day be exposed as the unspiritual man that he is. His selfish ambition betrays the idea that he is operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. James tells us that when someone is operating in the power of God, they will be characterized by purity, peaceability, gentleness, and an openness to reason. On the other hand, when a man is characterized by selfish ambition, argumentativeness, harshness, and being closed to reason, he is operating in an entirely different spirit; an earthly, unspiritual and demonic one.

In conclusion, when Jesus knelt down before his unworthy disciples and washed their filthy feet, he set the standard for Christian leadership, and the ceiling for human pride. When he had finished, he explicitly stated that he was setting an example for his disciples to follow. If one would claim to be his follower, then they dare not exalt themselves higher than he. After all, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a disciple above his teacher. By setting this standard, Jesus created a situation in which arrogance would not only be an offense against others, but an affront against him. It’s for this reason that an arrogant elder is an oxymoron. How could an arrogant man claim to be representing Jesus while persistently exalting himself above him? How could he claim to be shepherding like Jesus while abusing the sheep? Obviously, he could not.

Elders must have confidence in Christ, boldness to proclaim the Word, courage to withstand a hostile culture, and an intolerance for error. Yet, they must carry all of this with meekness, gentleness, patience and wisdom. As is apparent, most people can’t manage this sort of balance. Either they see their calling to stand for truth as a justification for brashness, or their calling to gentleness as a cloak for cowardice. It’s an increasingly rare individual who learns to consistently speak the truth – in love. Yet, the Lord’s standards for church leadership have not changed. It is only the man, free from arrogance, anger, and argumentativeness who is fit for the office of elder.

Let the church be warned, a man’s ability to “get things done” does not trump the Lord’s prohibition against an arrogant man serving as elder. Further, the hostility of the culture is not a justification for jettisoning God’s clear qualifications for leadership. A church should not be looking to recruit a commander for a culture war but instead to appoint a shepherd for soul care.

Are you a humble servant of the Lord? Do you see your calling as a stewardship, and not an ownership? Are you submissive to your master and committed to utilizing his means, operating by his methods, and submitting to his measure of success? Do you see the church as an arena of service instead of a platform for your own advancement? Are people merely stepping stones for your own recognition, or are they the very souls you are called to serve? Are weak people an irritation to you because they seem to frustrate your purposes and your goals? Are they individuals for whom you are willing to limit some of your personal liberties? Are they tender souls in need of your patient, shepherding care? Are difficult people targets of your anger or argumentativeness? Are they opponents to be defeated, or people to be won?

Do you confuse standing in oversight of the church, with standing above the church? Do you see that you have the same potential for weakness, sin, and failure as every other believer? Do you recognize your need for the means of grace as provided through the ministry of the church? Do you value the role which every church member plays in your life, and not just the influence you might have upon them? As you consider these questions, search your own heart and determine where the disqualifying trait of arrogance might be lurking and pray that the Lord might eradicate it.