Leadership & the Fruit of the Spirit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

-Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV throughout)

Christian leaders should exhibit the fruit of the Spirit.

That statement shouldn't be controversial. However, in our day, sometimes it is—or at least it can be controversial to expect a Christian leader to embody the fruit of the Spirit consistently, even if imperfectly at times.

Here is what we're finding: some Christian leaders do not exhibit the fruit of the Spirit regularly (a reality that has likely been true of other time periods as well). Sadly, instead, they often embody the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit.

The phenomenon is well-documented of a pastor rising to meteoric fame. Often, they can woo a crowd and build a large organization. An excellent public perception can be projected. Meanwhile, the church staff and the people closest to the pastor describe him as a completely different person in private.

Christlike character and giftedness are two different things.

The fruit of the Spirit and fruit in ministry are two different things.

A person may produce numbers.

They may grow churches. They may gain a following.

They may write books.

They may record podcasts.

They may achieve fame.

But isn't something wrong if the fruit of the Spirit is missing?

Of course it is. The fruit of the Spirit is Christianity 101. At our conversion, our lifetime pursuit of sanctification begins. We don't naturally possess the fruit of the Spirit. It is a work of the Spirit. And it often takes time. Not a single Christian, including leaders, perfectly embodies the fruit of the Spirit. However, we have crucified the old self with its passions and desires, and we seek to live by the Spirit (Gal. 5:24-25).

Shouldn't we expect that our leaders would generally have the fruit of the Spirit present in their lives? If they don't, how will they labor to shepherd God's people and help them develop the fruit of the Spirit in their lives?

Take a look at the list Paul gives in Galatians 5:

• Love

• Joy

• Peace

• Patience

• Kindness

• Goodness

• Faithfulness

• Gentleness

• Self-control

Now, contrast it with the other list he gives:

• Strife / conflict / dissension

• Jealousy

• Fits of anger

• Idolatry

• Impurity

• Drunkenness

• Sexual immorality

If these described a church, marriage, home, boss, or friendship, which would you rather experience? It's pretty obvious, isn't it?

But Paul takes it much further. If the bad list describes us better, he says this: "I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:21b). Yikes. This is a statement for sober reflection.

Let us examine our own hearts. I know that various circumstances make the fruit of the Spirit difficult. However, we must pray and depend on God's grace and strength to help us.

Let us examine our own households. If you're like me, then you're consistently baffled at how difficult it can be to lead a household full of kids into the fruit of the Spirit. Yet, God is capable. He can help us. He can help them.

And let us also examine our broken systems.

Yes, leadership is difficult. Yes, sometimes pastors and church leaders get maligned and are misunderstood. Sometimes they are well-meaning and just make mistakes. Let's show them grace.

However, other times the system itself seems tragically broken. Occasionally churches promote and protect leaders who seem more like the second list rather than the first. Why? Are we chasing after numbers so much that we value a leader who can bring external success regardless of the carnage?

This seems eerily similar to Jesus's statement about gaining the whole world and losing our own souls (Matt. 16:26). Do we want to gain ministry success but not inherit the kingdom?

I thank God for the leaders whom he has brought into my life who have demonstrated the fruit of the Spirit. It has been a remarkable experience getting to know fellow pastors and church leaders and being more impressed with them as you get to know them better. However, it has been perplexing and disorienting to have the opposite experience.

As we labor, learn leadership principles, and seek ministry fruit, let's not forget the foundational character (i.e., fruit of the Spirit) that needs to be present in our lives.

It could be that one day in heaven, we will find out that the unseen moments where we display the fruit of the Spirit actually led to the greatest ministry fruit.