Writing this post is difficult so that I will lay it out there. I am worried some people may think I am judgmental or imply I am talking about someone. As I don’t want to point fingers at specific people, I aim to keep this post as neutral as possible.
So here goes: At church, we gravitate toward certain ministers becaue of their talents. They may be dynamic, fire-starters, have good charisma, or speak eloquently. The issue is not the presence of these gifted individuals in our church. The genuine concern is our collective belief that these talents and gifts are what God truly values, character.
This morning, a friend sent me this sermon from Tim Keller called Love, The Most Excellent Way. Using 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, Tim Keller unpacks how God values the fruits of the Spirit in our hearts (he called it God’s grace) rather than the gifts and talents that we possess.
In ministry, we often have this upside down. I have often heard that this guest speaker is great because he is very prophetic, can perform miracles, or is a good preacher.
But how often do we hear someone or is a great leader or minister because they are, filled with love, or joyful, or peaceful, or long-suffering, or kind, or filled with goodness, or faithful, or gentle, or self-control. You get my idea. I just listed the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.
Despite their powerful gifts, it’s a sobering truth that some of these prominent ministers lack the fruits of the Spirit. They may shine on stage, but off-stage, they reveal a different, less desirable side.
I am not implying that every minister with a big ministry is like that. There are many ministers I’ve met who are filled with the fruits of the Spirit and also highly gifted in talents. I want to point out that what we value in a person is different from what God values. It’s not about the size of the ministry or the magnitude of the gifts, but the character that truly matters in God’s eyes.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul emphasises the importance of love, a key fruit of the Spirit. In the second verse, Paul says you can have great prophetic gifts or faith to move mountains, but you have nothing if you don’t have love.
Tim Keller said it like this:
Do not mistake talents, giftedness, brilliance, leadership, etc. Do not mistake those things for grace. Do not mistake those things for character….if you are envious, if you are angry, if you are anxious, inside your heart has not been changed. Then, in God’s eyes, it is valueless. It is worthless. – 11:05
Podcast: Love: The Most Excellent Way (11:05)
These are harsh words. Our selling points for a minister or a speaker are worthless in God’s eyes if the minister is not filled with grace.
So then, why do we keep gravitating toward gifts and talents?
I guess that as much as we deem love and all the fruits of the Spirit necessary, we don’t value them enough. These are not just nice-to-haves, but they are the essence of our faith and ministry. They are what truly matter in God’s eyes and should be our guiding principles.
We value work and accomplishment (in ministry) much more than character and personality. Or we assume just because a person has a great ministry, they are automatically filled with the fruits of the Spirit.
Why do I say that?
Because every time a minister falls because of a scandal or adultery, I hear Christians say, “Well, but he did something good, and he had a big ministry.” In short, just because someone had a ‘moral failure’ (sin) is not bad because he did so much for the Kingdom of God.
We justify the terrible things because of all the good things this minister had done.
In short, we need to prioritize character over achievement. It’s not about what we do, but who we are that truly matters. Let’s strive to be more like Christ, filled with the fruits of the Spirit, in our ministry and in our lives.
I am not downplaying giftedness and talents. In 1 Corinthians 14:1, Paul told the Corinth church to seek the gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. But we often downplay characters (fruits of the Spirit) more so.
After listening to the podcast series The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and experiencing several ministers who lacked the fruits of the Spirit (and were hurt in the process), I am ever more determined to judge a minister more on the fruits of the Spirit than gifts and talents. Notice that this is not a binary criterion.
Also, when I reflected on my ministry history, I saw times when I acted contrary to the fruits of the Spirit.
The only one I can judge the most is myself. Am I developing fruits of the Spirit in me? Am I the same person on stage and off stage?
And the ministers I’ve met, do they exhibit the fruits of the Spirit? I am learning to look past the gifts, no matter how attractive they are.
What do I look for in leaders if I am looking for a church?
If a person is looking for a church, the first thing he should do is to see if the leaders exhibit the fruits of the Spirit. Don’t just look at the gifts. Observe how they treat their volunteers and their families, especially volunteers less prominent than ushers or parking attendants. Look at how they deal with conflict. See what happens when others disagree with them. How the leaders respond will show you whether they are filled with the fruits of the Spirit. Above all, try not to justify the fruits of the flesh behaviours because they are busy or stressed or manage a significant ministry.
I’m not writing this to vent my frustrations. I’m writing this because we, as a church, should strive to value what God values. After all, God chose David as the King of Israel not for his outward appearance but because He saw David’s heart (1 Kings 16:7). Let’s strive to do the same.