Church leaders need spiritual depth to withstand the spiritual battle that goes with such leadership. I grew up in an area where the lakes freeze in the wintertime. When it first begins to get cold, the ice is not very thick, and you could fall through if you tried walking on it. Leaders who don’t have a lot of spiritual depth are like that. You may think you are ready to lead but don’t have the depth you need when trouble comes.
We all start as people without a lot of depth. Just as a person matures physically, we also need to develop spiritually. As Paul writes to Timothy, he gives some guidelines for what makes a good leader and why. 1 Timothy 3:6 A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. 7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap. [1]
Church Leaders Need to be Mature
Our grandson, who is four years old, asked his mother when his two-week-old brother could play with him. Our youngest grandson will mature and be able to play with his brother, but it will take time. For a person to move from a new believer to a mature believer takes time. As we go through trials in life, they mold and shape us, helping us mature. Scripture gives insight into the importance of trials shaping us.James 2:2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. [2]
An older lady in one of our congregations was a woman of great faith, but it wasn’t until I knew more about her that I understood how she became so mature. Years earlier, her husband suddenly died in his mid-fifties, and a short time later, her oldest son died in a car accident. Not long after that, her other son, who was in the military, was deployed to a combat zone. Through this challenging season, her dependence on the Lord grew. As a mature person of faith, she would assist others who experienced similar difficulties.
God’s School of Spiritual Depth
People attend school to prepare themselves, but God often uses life experiences to prepare and mature us. Joseph spent thirteen years as a slave as the Lord prepared him to be a significant leader in Egypt. Without those experiences, Joseph would not have had the depth to be a great Egyptian leader. As children of God, the Lord prepares us much the same way as people in the past through the trials of life. Be encouraged, for the Lord is with you on your journey of maturity.
To learn how church leaders need spiritual depth, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/lead-yourself
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Ti 3:6–7). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jas 1:2–4). Tyndale House Publishers.