Deacons are servants – the word ‘diakonos’ was used for a low-paid slave who does whatever is requested by the master of the house, including running errands and serving at table (Acts 6:1-7).  They serve Christ by serving His church in practical ways, and with spiritual motives (1 Timothy 3:9).  Their task is to enable God’s family to receive what He wants to give them, giving to others what God wants to pass on in blessing.  In one sense they are trustees who enable divine resources to be available where they can be best used.  Humility is the essential quality for being a deacon; those who want to have power or position in an organisation should not seek to be deacons.  But those who serve faithfully earn the respect of the church.

Faithfulness is a primary qualification for this role.  Traditional polygamy, either in parallel (where a man may have intimate relationships with more than one woman at the same time), or in series (where the man is intimate with a sequence of women over time), is not a biblical model of family or church life.  The Bible’s teaching on marriage is that it is the exclusive relationship of one man to one woman for life.  That is the eternal level of commitment that Jesus gives to those who come to Him; as the Bridegroom [Christ] to the Bride [the church] (Ephesians 5:25-33).

Infidelity is not a stable basis for building a home or bringing up children.  Nor can it produce spiritually stable churches.  Leaders with distracted hearts cannot draw their churches to commit themselves to Jesus Christ as the only Way.  But, in the same way that joy comes as a marriage grows and a family is created, so those who faithfully serve the Lord in the church grow spiritually themselves (as well as helping others to grow).  As we serve the Lord wholeheartedly (Ephesians 6:7), we become more assured that our faith, obedience and service is so worthwhile, and affirms the eternal life we have through Christ.

Faithful, loyal, consistent and self-sacrificial service is essential to growing a family well and for growing a church.  When selecting deacons, choose those whose homes you would like to live in.  What they do at home they will do in the church. Today's verses should enable us to see ourselves in a spiritual mirror (James 1:22-25).  However we participate in our local church, faithfulness to the Lord is essential.  Where we have lost our focus, drifted into carelessness or simply acted out a spiritual role without being the right sort of person – it is time to repent, learn the right lifestyle from Christ and practise it by serving Him at home and wherever He calls us to work for Him.