CHARACTER or CHARISMA?

Matthew 7:15-16 in the Message Bible says, "Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say."

That's a powerful scripture. The irony of it all is that the one's who are supposed to help build character in others are the main ones who neglect to deal with their own character flaws. Being a pastor I know from experience that it's an easy trend to fall into. Why? Because we are the leaders. We don't need the help, the people do. That's such a warp perception of being a leader.

A true leader works diligently to cultivate pure character, understanding that not only am I pleasing God by this, but I'm creating a conduit for the Holy Spirit to minister to people effectively.

Charisma is just that...charisma! Charisma is defined as "a quality that enables a person, esp. a leader, to capture the interest, devotion, and confidence of others." This is an awesome quality, however, if it's not founded on good character, it's deceiving. The Word of God is constantly talking to the church about cultivating good character; cultivating good fruit. That means that who we really are is more important than who people think we are.

Jesus told His disciples to not get impressed by charisma. He told them to look for character. I believe that if the people of God would follow the Words of Jesus Christ, then charismatic individuals would be forced to work on their character. They wouldn't have anyone else to impress. But being the frail creatures we are, someone seemingly has to impress us prior to impacting us. We need to make a major adjustment in the body of Christ.

I thought about all of the men and women of God that have publicly fallen in repetitive sin, and about how many people were so disappointed that they began to question the faith. That's a violent blow to the Kingdom of God and it's principles. We have a firm responsibility to represent the Kingdom of God in excellence. This requires us diligently and constantly working on our own character. Our character should exemplify our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

So NO, it's not okay to just do what we want, say what we want, go where we want, act like we want...we have a STANDARD of righteousness (character) to uphold.

I know I kicked this post off talking about leaders and their character, but this applies to all of us. Because believe it or not, someone is following you; that makes you a leader. Start by-passing charisma and get straight to the character of individuals and YOURSELF, you may be surprised!

Remember, charisma never produces fruit that remains, but character does. "When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine." (John 15:8 Amplified)

Pastor Renee Roberts