When you acquire a plant, it comes with instructions for care. So do pets. Without proper care, anything can fade and die. This passage speaks about the care that leaders, especially elders and the preachers, need. The aspect of our church life that we are trying to improve is developing and improving empowering leadership. Leaders are to lead in such a way that you are empowered to know and serve God better.

Part of developing empowering leadership is giving proper care for the leaders themselves. This is especially true when we look around and do not find those with leadership gifts willing to take the role of leadership. We have to encourage and grow leaders. Each person has to understand what is involved in the care of leaders so we can obtain a culture of effective leadership.

The first thing that leaders need is honor (v 17). We need to respect them and listen to what they say. We do not ignore our leaders as they watch over our souls and suggest (or even command) things that they have prayerfully considered for our benefit. Leadership is not easy. Good leadership is tougher still. Pray for and encourage those who are leading you in the Lord. We need it. Verses 17-18 also speak of compensating the minister whose work is preaching and teaching. The worker deserves his wages. Those who benefit spiritually need to share with their teacher.

The second way to care for your leaders is to stop idle accusations and gossipy complaints. Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly so that others may take warning (v 19-20). People will gripe about leaders. When you hear something bad about an elder, don’t spread it around. Stop it from spreading. Have the person go to the elder if they have a concern with him. You will show good care for your leaders if you protect them from idle charges. Note that it took two witnesses for a charge to stick in the Old Testament society. Here Paul says, two or three—not one witness and a group of people who are mad at the elder.

On the flip side, if the elder has sinned in a way that is dishonoring to Christ (all sin dishonors Christ, but some sins are of a public nature and do public harm), the sin needs to be dealt with publicly. In that way, the elders and especially the minister is held, not to a higher standard, but a more public one. This is to be done without partiality.

A third way to care for elders is to not place someone in office when they are not ready. Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure (v 22). By the laying on of hands, Paul is talking about ordaining people to office, especially the office of elder. Those who have been ordained to the office are responsible for those they ordain. Paul speaks of participating in the sins of others. That means that if I ordain someone who is not qualified for the office and they bring a lot of sin and confusion into the church, I am in part to blame. Those who ordain to office need to be careful that they do not place those in office who are not ready for it, even if there is a shortage of available candidates.

The fourth element in caring for leaders is to remind them of God’s love for them. Leaders often get so caught up in doing that they forget being. Paul reminds Timothy of God’s goodness when he says, Stop drinking only water and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illness (v 23). Often, those in ministry are in such a habit of thinking of others that they forget their own needs. Timothy seemed to be like that. Paul says to Timothy, "Son, God loves you. You are important to God. Not just your ministry. Not just what you think you can do in service. You are important. God wants you to have joy." Psalm 104:15 says that God made wine to gladden men’s hearts and oil to make their face shine. Surely the beautiful color of the leaves gladdens the heart. Take time to look at it. You have a loving wife or family, spend time with them, too. God wants you to have joy in this life because he loves you. Isn’t that honey to your heart?

I know many people have faithfully done ministry in this church for a long time. You minister, not for recognition, but because God has laid it on your heart. God has blessed you by using you for his service, but it is hard to keep going without refreshment and encouragement. We need to learn how to better encourage each other. That is how we care for leaders and doers. That is how we develop empowering leadership.

Remember: God loves you, not for what you do, but for who you are in Christ. He wants you to know joy with him. He wants you to know his presence around you. The secret of leading in any ministry is to be rooted in that relationship of love with the Lord. Jesus did not die so that you would be on a diet of bread and water. He has come that you may have life abundantly.