Christianity Quote by Rachel Held Evans
““It’s strange that Christians so rarely talk about failure when we claim to follow a guy whose three-year ministry was cut short by his crucifixion. Stranger still is our fascination with so-called celebrity pastors whose personhood we flatten out and consume like the faces in the tabloid aisle. But as nearly every denomination in the United States faces declining membership and waning influence, Christians may need to get used to the idea of measuring significance by something other than money, fame, and power. No one ever said the fruit of the Spirit is relevance or impact or even revival. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—the sort of stuff that, let’s face it, doesn’t always sell. I””
About This Quote
Source Book: A Year of Biblical Womanhood, Rachel Held Evans, 2012
Christians often ignore failure and chase fame, but true spiritual fruit is character, not popularity.
In simple terms: Spiritual growth matters more than fame or money.
Key Takeaway
Focus on developing love, joy, peace, etc.
Themes
faith
spirituality
culture
authenticity
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
aphilosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- church leadership
- personal growth
- community building
Key Concepts
character development
fruit of the Spirit
social critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How can churches value character over popularity?
- What does it mean to measure significance by spiritual fruit?
A Different Perspective
Fame and money are fleeting measures of significance.
![“I may ... pass for being a relatively successful man. People occasionally stare at me in the streets-that's fame. I can fairly easily earn enough to qualify for admission to the higher slopes of the Inland Revenue-that's success. Furnished with money and a little fame ... [I] may partake of trendy…” quote by Richard D. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/79b/richard-d-phillips-14207_success_i-may-pass-for-being-a-relatively-succes_1728172.jpg)
![“The blessing has been so significatn that we have continued our satiric tact [sic] with an additional objective in mind -- keeping the suits and haircuts away. Whenever a promising movement of the Holy Spirit begins nowadays, one of the first things that happens is that the agents, businessmen…” quote by Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/094/douglas-wilson-2686_big-time_the-blessing-has-been-so-significatn-tha_3025712.jpg)
