NIV Once-A-Day Bible for LeadersShembull

Psalm 1:3 Spiritual maturity is indispensable to good leadership. A novice or new convert should not be pushed into leadership. A plant needs time to take root and come to maturity, and the process cannot be hurried. The seedling must take root downward before it can bear fruit upward. J. A. Bengle says that novices usually have “an abundance of verdure (vegetation)” and are “not yet pruned by the cross.” In 1 Timothy 3:10, referring to qualifications for deacons, Paul urges, “They must first be tested.” ... Maturity is shown in a magnanimous spirit and broad vision. Paul’s encounter with Christ transformed him from a narrow-minded bigot into a full-hearted leader. The indwelling Christ enlarged his passion for others, broadened his view of the world, and deepened his convictions. But even in Paul’s case, these changes took time. J. Oswald Sanders