The Integrity of a Spiritual Leader is built upon their personal growth and development. As a result in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 we continue to see that a Spiritual leader must be growing toward maturity. Since one of the great dangers facing any leader is pride, humility is an essential element of their life and walk. We must remember that pride was the very things that brought Satan down according to Ezekiel 28:11-19 & Isaiah 14:12-14. The question then becomes how long should a person wait before they become a spiritual leader in the church? Our text says in verse 6, that they are “not a novice,” which means that they need to be old enough in the Lord that they have had tie to develop and demonstrate the spiritual disciples that are required for leadership and maturity. This is a process that can not be rushed, but at the same time is difficult to measure. The key here is that there is enough time to bring the respect and recognition of the Church body, and a personal demonstration of those qualities. Humility allows others to judge and determine those qualities, and not the leaders themselves. The importance of this is seen in that there are many things that a spiritual leader becomes privy to that could lead to pride or arrogance on the part of the leader. It is essential that each person have a heart to walk with the Lord no matter what the circumstances that they find themselves. While spiritual leadership is a worthwhile desire, it is also a position that is place upon a person, and not sought out by themselves. A person either has maturity or they do not, and the key to understanding our growth is that it is realized by others.
