we live in a world that stresses leadership performance. we want our leaders to do something. there is a place for this. leadership calls for action. however, there are plenty of examples of people who have produced results, yet were unethical, even unbiblical in their leadership philosophy, personal lifestyle, and/or methods.  

yes, there is a time and place for leadership action. that said, god, in both the old and new testaments, stresses character as formational to one’s leadership potential, and the letters of paul to timothy stress being over doing. in paul’s mind, being precedes doing. virtue gives birth to value. what we are is more important that what we do.  

as you read through paul’s two letters to timothy, look for those character issues that he stresses. below are some questions you may want to consider. 

• what or whom does paul warn timothy not to be like?
• what role is prayer to play in timothy’s life and how does that impact both being and doing?
• what matters to paul regarding the qualifications of leaders in the church?
• how does paul want timothy to treat others and how does that flow out of one’s being or personhood?
• what does paul say to timothy about the love of money and how does that apply to what we are discussing?
• in paul’s mind, what makes a good soldier?
• what does paul tell timothy about the role of study in his leadership?
• regarding character, what has paul modeled for timothy, and what is timothy to model for others?
• what do paul’s final words in 2 timothy 4 (possibly the last words he ever wrote) say about paul and his character?