⁷And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 1 Timothy 3:7

This is where the rubber meets the road.

Fine, a man has a sterling demeanor in the church–that is within its walls. He looks good in his suit (or dressy sports casual). Smiles widely. Is engaging. Firm handshake. Nice family all duded out. Beautiful trophy wife. Maybe he’s been an usher for years, and known to show up at an occasional service opportunity when goaded by a fellow usher. But…

You mention his name in a group of his compatriots outside the church and they snicker, even laugh out loud (LOL for some of you). You see this man lives a double life.

A would-be leader must be assessed by his clients (after a night in the box at the stadium) and co-workers (after a business trip) and golfing buddies (after a missed putt for a birdie) as an honorable man of good repute.

Choose him and he’s easily entrapped by the devil. Sully his reputation (and the church’s) in the public spotlight and you perpetrate the most frequently mentioned beef against Christians: that we’re all hypocrites!

Even so, I would submit that the devil has succeeded anyway when a guy like this is installed.

Let’s be very careful that the men we choose to lead us stand the test before God and man.