Thoughts for Life: #99 Integrity in Ministerial Ethics

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: A person of God must maintain the highest level of integrity in all aspects of his ministry and leadership.

The ministry, like every profession, has its code of ethics, and Christian workers need constantly to manifest the highest ethics in their interrelations as well as in their work. (Google image, Preacher man)

1. Be more careful, more courteous and kind, and more professional in your duties than any other professional person could be expected to be. The name of Christ and his church is at stake in all you do.

2. Recognize that you are always on call to represent God and to meet the needs of your people.

3. Give full time to your leadership and ministry. The only exception is when you have the agreement of your board or superintendent. Beware of a reputation for indolence and dawdling waste of time. You will repeatedly be requested to accept other responsibilities, all praiseworthy, but which can erode your primary calling.

4. Be loyal to your church or organization and its doctrine and heritage. Any deviation on your part from your original commitments must be reported to the church or group.

5. Guard the reputation of Christ's church and your fellow Christian workers. The good name of all must be safe in your hands.

6. Avoid all unwholesome competition with other churches, ministries, or Christian leaders.

7. Respect the leadership of other Christian leaders and do not serve their members except in emergencies or with the consent of the other leader.

8. Keep confidences inviolate.

9. Endeavor constantly to strengthen the unity of the Spirit within your group and among Christians in general. Avoid being a part of any divisive group or church clique.

10. While seeking to please your people, keep your final priority on pleasing God.

11. Model and build loyal respect for government and active Christian citizenship.

12. Regard your service as primary and remuneration for service or financial advancement as secondary.

Always remember that even when you are not in a leadership role, you are always perceived as a Christian leader. You have a right to private relaxation and personal and family time.

But even then you are representative of Christ and His church. You are never off duty as a person of God. Maintain your integrity in all that you do and wherever you go. Then God's seal can continue to rest upon you and His power can continue to clothe you.

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Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.

Ablaze for God
#99 Integrity in Ministerial Ethics
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 290- 291) ZondervanPublishingHouse

Let's pray:

Father, as Your people, help us maintain a high level of integrity in all that we do in ministry and in leadership within our homes, communities and churches.
Like other professions, we're to have a code of ethics to follow to constantly demonstrate high ethics in our interrelations as well as our work.
Others expect that we're to be courteous and kind, and to be more professional in our duties, as the name of Christ will be at stake in all that we do.
May we endeavor to strengthen the unity of Your Spirit within our groups and among Christians in general, avoiding becoming a part of any divisive group or church clique.
While seeking to please our people, may we keep our final priority on pleasing You.
Help us build loyal respect for our government and to be active in modeling Christian citizenship.
We pray this in the name of our Savior, Jesus. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

Ps. 32:24 (NKJV) "Be of good courage, and He shall
strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD."

Ps. 25:4, 5) (NKJV) "Show me Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach
me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I
wait all the day."

Ps. 23:1-3 (NKJV) "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall
not want. (v. 2) He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. (v. 3) He restores my
soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His
name's sake."

Today's quote-

~ Horatius Boner (1808-1889): "As disciples of Christ, let our discipleship be complete and consistent, our connection with Him exhibiting itself in conformity to His likeness. Let our life be a comprehensive creed, our walk the embodiment of all that is honest, lovely and of good report.
Christ's truth sanctifies as well as liberates; His wisdom purifies as well as quickens. Let us beware of accepting the liberty without the holiness, the wisdom without the purity, the peace without the zeal and love."
[Taken from Herald of His Coming newspaper, Vol 76, No 1 (901), p. 1. Used by permission.]

Today's question-

What's God's plan to change us into Christ's likeness?

Before Jesus ascended into heaven in the clouds, He told His disciples to return to Jerusalem to wait there for the Holy Spirit to come. But for now, He was returning to His Father in heaven, where He would place His blood upon the altar for the sins of mankind.
Jesus' Spirit was given 10 days afterward, while the disciples were together, praying, waiting for His instructions to receive the Spirit.
The empowering of Christ's Spirit was fulfilled, and He indwelt them! (See Acts 2). Today, we are offered that same experience! May we expect to receive His moving among and in us too! Do you want to see Him move in your situations everyday? Are you "panting as the deer pants" for more of Him? Are you thirsty for the living God?
Check out the above Scriptures to see that God tells us to be of good courage, for He will strengthen our hearts. He will teach us of His ways, restore our souls and lead us in the paths of righteousness.
What more can we ask? Our willingness to live lives of integrity in our ministerial ethics is open to His Ability to help us be good examples of His grace, and to change us into Christ's likeness.