Paul defines in Titus 1:4 how the community of God functions. It is not enough to speak about calling and mission. Relationship is very important for it is the place love reveals itself. In life and ministry we should find both the need for others and the investment of our lives into others.

As we earlier mentioned, Paul did not see him doing everything. The church is likened to a body. Not everyone is an arm nor a foot. Paul was very determined to fulfill his role as an apostle, but he fully realized that much more was at work. In fact, it is Paul himself that writes so much about the body of Christ and spiritual gifts in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.

Titus probably was led to the Lord by Paul himself. This is why he probably calls him “my true child in a common faith.” If you lead others to faith, you become spiritual fathers and mothers too. God wants to bear more children into His family through our lives and testimonies. Don’t be scared. He will help you.

But what we find in Paul is very right and special. It is what we want to find in this community of God’s people. Although Paul had the gift of healing and miracles and had a great testimony of preaching the gospel, he depended on others. Many leaders are not like this. Everything points to them. They just take the world and put it in the church.

I heard recently of one experienced pastor/missionary. He is about to retire and those left behind are scared. This man, godly enough, carried out servant leadership without hesitation. That is good.

He was there opening up, preaching, teaching and even cleaning up. He would welcome people and visit people. He did everything and everyone else watched. When he left, no one had confidence to do anything. This man did not have the right concept of the body of Christ. Christ served but He also sent disciples out.

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Paul here depends on Titus to carry out a task that he could not do. He did not let his pride interfere with the need of God’s people. He prized those that grew up in the faith around him. A great leader is known from the way he works and depends upon those around him. It is not his special gifts and great works that sets him apart, but his deep awareness that he is just one member of the body and that everyone is important.

We should mention one other aspect that is very obvious here. A good father cares for his children. He shows this care by involving himself in the child’s life to learn what the child needs to learn.

Look more into the Father-son relationship!

Depending on who it is and what area of life it is, the involvement can greatly differ.

I was recently giving instruction to one son on how to properly recycle garbage so that the flies wouldn’t come around. I was helping another one to tie a shoe. I am helping another by going through training material on how to overcome anxiety.

Paul in a similar way was helping Titus where he thought he needed help. The rest of the Book of Titus forms this help. We will be speaking more about this. And yes, though the end result was going to be the benefitted churches in Crete, Paul was training Titus and helping him succeed.

Many a time, we fail because we set a person to do a certain thing, but we do not provide assistance. We ask them to teach Sunday School or count money or visit someone, but we do not provide the necessary details. I have failed in this myself, but have learned, through parenting many children, that good training also means not only to privilege others by having them participate in tasks, but to specifically identify the tasks and make sure that they know how to do each one.

I was helping my wife the other day. With the wedding and different responsibilities, she was being overwhelmed with the many things to do. I care for her. I pray for her. So I showed her how to manage many things and prioritize tasks. I needed to pay attention to the way she worked. I would do it a bit different for myself but was willing to help her in a way that best suited her own way of doing things. She felt my love by my patient training.

Our personal calling, our corporate mission and our joint task. No Christian should be off wandering by himself. Yes, we are individuals, and we have our wills. But as a Christian, we belong to God. We are not our own. We have been bought with a price. The Lord’s mission becomes our mission. His work becomes our work. We have our own jobs and lives, but His mission shapes all that we do.

We cannot succeed by ourselves. We are to succeed with others. Everyone is important, and so we involve our time and resources investing ourselves in the lives of others.

In this way, they grow quicker and end up in many cases doing a job better than ourselves. It is a shame that so few Christians have been discipled. Let not that curse be upon our church.

Instead, let us take the full blessing of God upon ourselves. Remember. God’s ways are the best. His goodness and truth are fully compliment each other. We are not only to say things and know things but practice them so that all of us work together in joy serving our great Master. May His kingdom come on earth even as in heaven. Next