Every organization has metrics. Metrics are good. Metrics are wise.

Metrics are not supreme.

This is obvious, but can I tell you, friend, it doesn’t always feel true or obvious that metrics aren’t the ultimate measure of my fruitfulness. This week in our book club for Becoming More Fruitful in Cross-Cultural Work (by me), we will discuss the introduction and explore the relationship between the fruit of the Spirit and metrics when it comes to what we mean by “fruitfulness in ministry.”

Here’s an excerpt from the introduction:

“The very idea of fruit suggests that these virtues are the outflowing of the indwelling of the Spirit of God. A blueberry does not have to work hard to be round or sweet or blue. A watermelon does not have to hope it is juicy enough. So why does a book like this stir some of us up? Why does developing the fruit of the Spirit feel more like the yoke of slavery with hidden messages than the abundant life? As you’ve been reading, the message you’ve heard could be, ‘You need to be more loving. You need to be kinder.’ Like the Galatians, our thinking about what freedom actually is has been tainted. Yes, you and I do need to keep growing in our ability to love, but not because we should be loving, which reeks with the death stench of the law, but because as we grow in love, we are freer and freer than we have ever been. It is for freedom’s sake that we have been set free.” (page 10)

It is for freedom’s sake that we have been set free. How free (a) are you? and (b) do you feel?

My hope is that by the end of the book and this book club we will all be able to be more aligned with God and less with the faulty messages and beliefs we have.

It’s not too late to join in the discussion of Becoming More Fruitful in Cross-Cultural Work.

Book Club this week meets October 5th: 7:00 a.m. MDT/9:00 a.m. EDT

P.S. On Thursday get the “The Prayer of Examen: Re-imaging Your Idea of Success.” In addition this month’s workshop is related to helping you manage your stress! Get “Insights on Stress” while it’s still 50% off.