6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.
having faithful children
A leader must have children who believe in Christ and are true to the standards of Christianity. People should evaluate an elder on how he controls his children (those living under his roof, who still receive parental input. If we cannot manage our home of four, how can we lead a church of a hundred people? The devil will attack kids of people in ministry like no other.
not accused of dissipation
“Dissipation” means wild. No one should accuse a leader’s children of being wild or living in rebellious debauchery. The idea here is that his children are disorderly in an ethical sense.
or insubordination.
“Insubordination” is tandem to “dissipation.” These children at home are unwilling to submit themselves to God. They will not allow anyone to rule them; they are little anarchists who will not obey their parents. Our society has fed us permissiveness so long that unruly children are now the norm. It might be cute to watch rebellion in a preschooler, but now that he is a teen, it is obnoxious.
PRINCIPLE:
A Christian leader should manifest leadership in the home before he does in the church.
APPLICATION:
A leader’s children should believe and not be subject to wild behavior and disobedience. A leader must influence his own children before he attempts to influence a church. If he cannot lead his own children, how is he to lead an entire congregation?
1 Ti 3: 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence
