Do you know how to use your personality for God? 3 John

3 John 1:9-10 (NASBStr)

I wrote something to the church; but Diotrophes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church.

The Bible does not pull any punches when it comes to describing problems with those who profess belief in God and, yet, walk contrary to Him and the Gospel.   God fully exposed Moses, David, Peter, and others, in their mis-steps before Him.   Paul himself is exposed at the end of Acts 15 in his argument over John-Mark with his co-missionary partner, Barnabas.  The Bible speaks to the genuine failures of the sinful man and, despite our belief in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, we still end up failing.   Those who point to hypocrisy as one of the reasons to reject the Gospel are typically not in want for ammunition.   Here, in the above passage, we see the story of Diotrophes.   He was a man in the first church who, based upon a strong personality, took up a leadership role, without the Gospel as his balance.   He, according to John, want to be "first" among everyone.   The Greek word here is only used in this passage in all the N.T.   It is the word, philoproteuo, which is made up of two Greek words, philo (to love) and protos (first).  It literally means that Diotrophes "loved to be first" among everyone.   Apparently that love for first-ness was enough to prevent others from practicing the Christian gift of hospitality to traveling ministers.  Perhaps Dio was upset because when traveling ministers showed up at the door of the church he was no longer first.  Perhaps Dio simply didn't like John's power, position and authority over the church.   Whatever the reason, John is telling Gauis, the receiver of this little letter, to be aware of Diotrophes and make sure he was both corrected and not followed, or imitated by other believers.   It is not hard in a local church for strong personalities to assume leadership positions.   Their ability to humbly submit to other leaders is a lost art.   A strong personality does not make you a good leader; or, more importantly, God's appointed leader.  Diotrophes had a chance to use his God-given ability to serve and influence the church in the right way.  Yet, he didn't. John had to take the time to correct him and instruct the church to aware of him.   Sometimes what God gives those in the church is not used for God's glory but for their own.  The Bible doesn't shy away from telling us this type of story.  It is good for us to know it.   Better to make sure we avoid it.