The church growing spiritually and numerically is a by-product of a right relationship with the Lord of the church. Spiritual depth and church health cannot be measured by methods, models, or programs, but by its relationship with the Lord Jesus. Likewise, a healthy church necessitates spiritually healthy leadership.
A spiritually healthy leader is one who thrives and advances in life and ministry. The word “thrive” means to grow vigorously, to progress toward a goal in spite of circumstance. The thriving leader has a newness of spirit that is constantly flourishing and pulsating with life.
These are the characteristics of leaders who thrive:
1. Leaders who thrive love Jesus deeply. If you feel drained, loving Jesus will give you a fresh perspective on ministry and kindle a fresh fire in your heart. Spiritually healthy leaders keep the hidden life of the soul and spirit pure, discerning any subtle changes of the soul’s health and the spirit’s passion.
Education, training, skills, personality, and gifts are great, but being with Jesus and being in the presence that transforms will empower you with fresh energy and remove the weariness of soul.
2. Leaders who thrive love people deeply. A.W. Tozer wrote, “Deep-felt compassion is one of the primary controlling emotions of pastoral ministry. It is the human emotion of the heart of God.” Because the Lord established the church as His society of love on earth, pastors have the wonderful privilege to give love, to be loved, and to lead others to express Christ’s love in the world.
Pray for people continually, love people unconditionally, and prize people honorably.
3. Leaders who thrive love the house of God deeply. Loving God and loving God’s house are vitally connected and are foundational to fulfilling God’s plan and enjoying our personal destiny.
You can get anything and everything you want without belonging to or serving a local church: conferences, websites, seminars, counseling, and so on. But the house of the Lord is God’s idea, and we must be committed to loving it and building it.
NOTE: I am not sure where i got this material, sounds like something i would say and write but will leave the credit to whoever it belongs to ~