Above Reproach

1 Timothy 3:2 - An overseer, then, must be above reproach...

The verse goes on to list a number of qualifications for overseers/elders/church leaders. And no matter what you call them or how many a church has, they are all called to be above reproach.

Philippians 2:15 - so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, amidst whom you appear as lights in the world

Here, all Christians are called to be blameless and innocent, above reproach.

But what does it mean exactly, to be above reproach. That question is partially answered just by looking at the phrase itself. Above reproach, above blame, blameless. Unfortunately, our very nature of imperfection keeps us from being entirely blameless. We can't be perfect, we can try, we can progress, but we can't be perfect. So how do we get to a point of being above reproach? The pursuit of perfection is the only way I see possible. We have to be so focused on perfection (things above!) that things deserving of reproach aren't on our minds at all. At least nowhere near the forefront of our minds. We need to be so set on perfection that we forget it's impossible to reach. It's so much harder than it sounds though. We doubt the perfect power of God to complete us, we doubt the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us, we doubt Jesus' power to fully forgive us.

It's just so hard to stay focused, to stay joyful and content and pure and disciplined and loving and peaceful and Christ-like. Partially because those things are a high calling, but also because of how we perceive that calling. As a burden instead of a joy. I think joy is a key component to being above reproach. We've gotta joyfully love and serve Christ, we have to joyfully submit to others, joyfully obey God and the authority He set up.

I think if we did everything in life with complete joy we'd end up being above reproach without even trying so hard to be above reproach. Just living life to its ultimate fullest. Its spirit-filled, joyful, above reproach, fullest.