"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

1 Timothy 4:12

The text above shows us six areas in which a minister of the gospel is expected to display excellence. Excellence has to do with showing "extremely high quality." Even the Bible admonishes that we should approve the things that are excellent (Philippians 1:9-11). That means, anything short of excellence in ministry should be rejected. Being a minister of the gospel does not mean that you should do things anyhow or wishy-washy. Being a minister confers on you the spirit of excellence and so, you can be excellent as a minister. So, in today's edition of Forms and Patterns, we want to examine Six (6) Areas of Ministerial Excellence.

Listen to Podcast: THE 6 AREAS OF MINISTERIAL EXCELLENCE

The first area is in WORD. Now, word here is not talking about the word of God; it is talking about the manner of speaking of a minister. As a minister, there is a way to talk, there is a way to respond to people. Colossians 4:6 tells us, it says:  "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." That Scripture says "always", which means, it is not something that is done temporarily, it should be something that is ought to be an hallmark of your life as a minister.

Also, Ephesians 4:29 tells us: "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." If you carefully examine that passage, it shows that there are some words that are not good for edification and which does not impart grace to the hearers. No wonder apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:16 that the word of Christ should dwell in you richly as a minister in all wisdom so that you may know what you ought to speak and how you ought to respond to people.

So, if you are ever going to be an excellent minister, then you must watch the words of your mouth, what you say and how to respond to people. Apostle James wrote in James 3:2 that "For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body." Any minister who does not want to stumble in the work of ministry must watch his words carefully.

The Second area is in CONDUCT. Conduct is defined as: "the way and manner that a person behaves in a particular place or situation." As ministers of the gospel, there is a way to behave. Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:15, it says: "but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." In the house of God, there is a way to conduct yourself as a minister, outside of the house of God, and even in circular settings; there is also a way to conduct yourself as a ministers.

In 1 Samuel 18:14-15, look at what the Bible says about David: "And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him." David was not rude to Saul, even though he knew that the he was going to be the next king. Many ministers of the gospel today are so rude and arrogant, and they don't even hide it from the public purview. This is not supposed to be so. I am not sure there is anywhere in the Scriptures where Jesus behaved conducted Himself in such a way and manner that brought shame to the kingdom of God. All Jesus did was to bring glory to God's kingdom all the time.

As ministers of the gospel, we should never be seen to bring shame to the kingdom of God that we represent in the way and manner we conduct ourselves. This is why Ephesians 5:15a tells us "to walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.." We are wise people as ministers of the gospel and this should however reflect in the way we conduct ourselves and the affairs of our ministry.

The Third area is in LOVE. Walking in love for a minister is not an optional thing. It is a fundamental prerequisite and any minister who would attain excellence must embrace this important virtue. Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:1-2, it says: "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." Anyone who cannot love should not even be Christ's ambassador in the first place, because Christ is love personified. As a matter of fact, Christ so much loved us that He gave Himself as a sacrifice.

In John chapter 21, Jesus asked Peter three times whether he loved Him. Peter said "Yes Lord, you know I love you." The Jesus said to Him, if you do love me as you have said; then "Feed my Lambs, Tend my Sheep, feed my Sheep." It is the love of God that you have as a minister that will make you do the right thing over the flock of God that has been placed in your care. So, the more you walk in love, the more excellent you will become as a minister of the gospel.

The Fourth area is in spirit. Notice the word 'spirit' there talks about the human spirit and not the Holy Spirit. Why is this so? Because excellence is a thing of the spirit. When our recreated human spirit is excellent, the soul and the body takes a cue from it. See what the Scripture says concerning the man Daniel, so that you can know that excellent is a thing of the spirit. The Bible says in Daniel 6:3: "Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm." Notice it was an excellent spirit the Bible says Daniel had and not an excellent body.

Many ministers of the gospel today would rather pay more attention to their bodies; what they would wear and how they would look in front of the crowd and neglect how they are doing in their spirit. This is an anomaly. As much as it is important to look good and appear nice, it should never be at the expense driving our spirit towards excellence. Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, He says: "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Perfection is possible in ministry. Excellence is attainable, but it starts from the spirit.

The fifth area is in Faith. The minister of the gospel must be excellent in the areas of faith. Why must a minister of the gospel be excellent in faith? 1 Timothy 6:11-12 tells us. It says: "But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." Your faith as a minister is not a secret, there are many people looking towards that faith, whose faith is being build up as they behold your own faith as the minister of the gospel. So, you cannot afford to let them down in this area.

Faith in ministry is for warfare, and that is why apostle Paul wrote to "Fight the good fight of faith." That tells you that there are certain fight that are not of faith and so, the minister should stay far from those.

The Sixth and the last area under consideration is Purity. Purity has to do with "the quality or state of being pure." For example, the minister is expected to show purity towards people of the opposite sex. 1 Timothy 5:1-2 says: "Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity." When a male minister relates with younger women as sisters for instance, it would eliminates all forms of sexual objectification and the minister would behave himself cautiously around such younger women. The reason why we have ministers of the gospel sleep with their female members is simply because they have not perceived them correctly, and this is not befitting for a minister. Also,  the minister must show purity towards the delivery of the word of God. The minister must never be seen manipulating the word of God to suit his or her own selfish agenda, just as we examined last week under the heading: The Minister and Uprightness With the Word.

This is what has been laid in my heart to share with you on Forms and Patterns and I believe you have been blessed.

Thanks for the gift of your time, Obayomi Abiola Benjamin!
Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond as soon as possible!