The most significant discovery unearthed by the leadership literature of the past twenty years is that two signs indicate successful leadership: improving relationships, and the improving stories that are spawned by the improving relationships. Interestingly, these signs of successful leadership constitute two of the three “signs of the Spirit” that were so central to early Christianity.
The early church touted three tests of authenticity, or as it called them, “signs of the Spirit.” First, and the one missing from the leadership literature of the past twenty years, is the Lordship of Christ and the centrality of an apostolic witness.14 For the Christian, everything else pales by comparison to the preeminence of Christ.
The second sign of the Spirit consisted of manifestations in the life of Christians of “fruit of the Spirit.”15 James exhorts us to “humbly accept the word planted in you.”16 The Word of God bears fruit, not when it is comprehended, but when it is lived—implanted and transplanted. And the fruit of the Spirit is proven in relationships. When relationships get worse, things go bad. When relationships get better, things improve. This is true in the corporate world17 just as it holds true when Christians relate to one another in the church.
The third sign of the Spirit was the usefulness of spiritual manifestations to the churches.18 In other words, when relationships get better, there are stories to back up the improving relationships. Relationships, not numbers, show if growth is biblical, healthy, and truly fruitful. Perhaps it’s time to declare a moratorium on statistics in the church. What if the only thing we reported was the answer to this question: “Is spiritual fruit in evidence in your church? Give me the stories, not more statistics.” My dream for the church? God’s people telling more God stories than golf stories. An authentic Great Awakening is when people can’t stop talking about what God is doing.
Leonard Sweet, "What Matters Most"
