1Timothy 3:1. “This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”
A GOOD WORK. The occupation of a person’s life is usually what they are known for. Some will say. “I am a fisherman,” others will say, “I am a schoolteacher,” or a farmer, nurse, housewife, doctor, or some other way of identifying the area of commitment and interest in their life. The work of an overseer is a real work of commitment and interest in the well-being of the Lord’s people. The word “office” is a bit misleading because it seems to some like it is a job one is voted into.
It really means “a work,” as in the occupation a man is involved in. The work of overseeing the people of God can be very disheartening at times. Many misunderstand the interest of the bishop as interference rather than a genuine concern. It is not a work most would choose. But the Spirit of God makes it plain: the office of a bishop is a “good work.” It is not a title bestowed on a person because of a position given him by others; it is a “good work.” It is not a position he takes upon himself; it is a “good work.”
When the desire for this work is in the heart of a man of God, it is put there by the Holy Spirit. He places a burden for the sheep in the mind and heart of the shepherd. He desires their growth; he desires their spiritual life to be effective; he desires their love to be seen; he desires evidence of Christian growth. He will apply himself to meeting the needs of those for whom he cares. He will make sure they know he cares for them. He will pray over those whom God has given him to nurture. He will make their concerns his own. It is part of his work to be able to identify with those under his care. He is able to identify with the heartaches they have when those things come, over which they have no control. He can recognize the hurt they feel when some unforeseen catastrophe strikes the family. Whether the problems of the life of the sheep under his care are financial, spiritual, or emotional, the bishop (overseer) is able and willing to put himself in their shoes and respond to the needs they might have.
His joy will be to see their soul prosper, because the work he is in is a “good work.” He is able to see God’s hand in the work he does because it is a “good work.” He knows the privilege of the work has been given to him by God and is a “good work.” God Himself looked on His work in the beginning and said it was a “good work.” When God did His work and oversaw its ability to function, He said it was “good.” The same holds true for the overseer today; the work he does for God and His people is a “good work.”
“O Great Shepherd of the flock: those who care for the sheep of Thy pasture need a God- like attitude of heart and soul to be able to meet the needs of those in their care. Give to these shepherds, these bishops, these elders, the same kind of heart and interest that Thou dost have for the sheep. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”