My office window opens into a waiting room where families often come to receive assistance. Some children are well behaved. Others are climbing on chairs, chasing each other around the room, screaming and generally causing chaos. The difference in the children reflects the consistency of the parents.
Some parents consistently teach and discipline their children so that they understand how to behave in public and to respect others. Other parents consistently ignore their children's poor behavior not wanting to spend the energy it takes to teach young hearts correct behaviors. The results are extremely predictable. The unruly child becomes the unruly teenage, who becomes the unruly adult, who will struggle with authority, often spending time in jail.
Paul writes, "For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?" (1 Timothy 3:5).
Being a bishop or pastor requires commitment to speak the truth and to enforce spiritual discipline when necessary (Matthew 18:15-20). If the minister is more interested in maintaining popularity than shepherding the flock, the sheep will not mature properly. Their relationship with God will suffer (1 Corinthians 5:1-11).
