Every leader … needs a mirror, safe spaces, grace, trust and sound doctrine in their lives.

Leaders need to believe not only in the gospel but also conviction and self-awareness.

In these next few verses Paul is speaking of the Old Testament Law. The law pointed to Christ and Christ fulfilled the law. Christians are saved because of the gospel of Jesus Christ but we still need the motivation and the heart of the law. Why?

^“ We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. ⁹ We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine ¹¹ that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.” (1 Timothy 1 v 8-11)

• Every leader needs a mirror.

We need to know we fall short of God’s standard. We need a mirror that declares a self-awareness. We need to be able to examine our own hearts. We need conviction. The list isn’t to condemn, if it was, we need a bigger list. It is helping us to understand that we need the gospel of grace and we need constant transformation.

• Every leader needs to be able to create safe spaces.

Structures, standards, policies, ‘lists’ are not for restriction but protection of individuals within community. For people to flourish they need the safe places where there is no fear of manipulation or harm.

• Every leader needs to lead with more grace rather than rules alone.

The gospel is the transformative power that changes hearts and lives. The rules reveal the problem but it is the grace of this gospel that brings the solution. You can usually see grace and you can definitely see the effect where there are only rules. Leaders who operate without grace and only use the rules often find themselves needing grace but only being given the rules. We reap what we sow.

• Every leader has been given a sacred trust.

Paul notes that the gospel of grace was entrusted to him. We need to handle our position carefully and that means to be good stewards of the gospel not only in the pulpits but shepherding those in the pews.

• Every leader must hold to sound doctrine.

There needs to be a standard that can be measured. This means Biblical truth not cultural trends or some soap-box opinion. So we need Truth. In what is preached and what is lived.

Paul’s instruction to the leader Timothy applies today.