Have you ever found yourself wishing you were gifted, maybe with the ability to prophesy or heal? Or maybe you wished you had a special anointing for preaching or praise and worship?
Whilst gifts and anointings can be beneficial to your church and community, it is pointless pursuing them if you do not have the right character to properly carry and use them.
In fact, if you turn to the Bible, God makes it clear that as Christians we should actually value character over gifting. And this is why.
God Gives Grace to Those With a Humble Character
1 Peter 5:5-6 says:
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time…
These verses reveal to us that God gives grace to the humble. That is, the grace that enables one to do amazing and miraculous things. However, it is important to note that humility is not a gift. It’s a character trait and its one that God can work well with.
Why is that?
The humble person is the one who leans on God. They know that they can do nothing without Him and that they have no goodness apart from Him. (John 15:5, Psalm 16:2) Therefore, the humble person is the one who, even if they have gifts or an anointing, knows they still need to rely on God.
On the other hand, the proud person will not turn to God because they are confident they can do things on their own. The proud person relies on himself, his own ability and his own understanding.
That being the case, the proud person, even if gifted or anointed by God, will not submit to God’s will or plan.
As you can see in order to work for God and for God to work with you, you must have the right character. If you have a bad character, you will resist God and God will resist you.
You will see an example of this in the life of King Saul.
The Case Against King Saul
Saul was a handsome and tall man. He looked like a man who could be the king the children of Israel desired. Thus, he was anointed to be just that by a prophet of God. (1 Samuel 9:1-2, 1 Samuel 10:1)
But all his good looks and even the anointing on his life were not enough to keep Him on the throne God had placed Him on, because he lacked a good character.
When going to battle against the Amalekites, the prophet Samuel instructed Saul to utterly destroy all animals and people. Yet, Saul transgressed by sparing the King of Amalek and saving the best of the livestock. Afterwards, he even had the audacity to build himself a monument. (1 Samuel 15:1-23)
By doing this, Saul went against the Word of not only Samuel, but God Himself. He also exposed his disrespect of God, his pride and arrogance and essentially, his poor character.
As a result, the throne and kingdom was stripped from him and given to someone with a more usable character, David. (1 Samuel 15:28)
The Case for King David
David too was a good looking man. He was also skilled at playing the harp and known for his prudence and valour. (1 Samuel 16:12;18) But what Saul lacked in character, David made up for it by being “a man after God’s own heart” and a humble man as well. (1 Samuel 13:14)
Scripture informs us that, even after he was anointed to be king, David willingly served King Saul without resentment or bitterness. (1 Samuel 16:14-23) When battling against Goliath, David called upon the Lord and trusted in Him to deliver the enemy into his hand, rather than trusting his ability. (1 Samuel 17: 45-51)
Thus, David revealed his patience, wisdom, humility and reliance upon God. Furthermore, when he later fell into adultery with the wife of one of his own soldiers and then tried to hide it, David had the strength of character to admit that he had sinned against God. (2 Samuel 12:13)
He did not cast blame upon Bathsheba or try to excuse himself, David took responsibility for his actions. Once again, revealing his humility and good character.
As a result, the kingdom stayed in David’s hands for many years and to this day we still talk of him and remember him as a man who the Lord used mightily.
It’s All About Character
As the lives of these two kings reveal, you can have the gifts and the anointing but if you do not have the character to carry them, it’s pointless.
It’s all about character.
In fact, you may not be aware of it but even the important process of sanctification (becoming more like Christ) that all Christians go through, is about character.
When one becomes more like Jesus Christ, they take on the fruits of the Holy Spirit which are, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) These qualities are not gifts. But they are part of the characteristics of a mature believer.
1 Corinthians 13 also gives insight into the importance of character. The chapter outlines what walking in godly love, looks like.
It is being patient, kind, not being arrogant or rude or boastful, believing and hoping, it is enduring. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Again, these characteristics are not given as gifts but they are cultivated and nurtured into being by the help of the Holy Spirit dwelling within.
When one begins to show these characteristics not only are they growing in Christ, but they will be more usable to God.
This is why as Christians we need to value character over gifts or anointings. You can have the gift or anointing but if God cannot work with you effectively, if you are not maturing in Christ, it’s a waste.
It is especially important to value character because the kingdom of God will not be inherited by the gifted but the faithful.
Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant
In Matthew Chapter 7, Jesus speak of people who will beg Him to enter the kingdom of heaven because they have prophesied, cast out demons and done many wonders in His name. (Matthew 7: 21:23) But they will not be let in. This is because, although they were, essentially gifted, they practised lawlessness and so did not qualify to enter the kingdom.
In the end, after all has been said and done God will not say, well done my good and gifted servant. He will say well done, my good and faithful servant. (Matthew 25:23)
For it is the faithful servant who has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the faithful servant who seeks not their own will but God’s will. It is the faithful servant who perseveres, endures and patiently does good. (Romans 2:7) It is the faithful servant who is walks in love and bears the fruits of the Spirit.
Yes, being gifted is great.
Having an anointing is wonderful.
But in and of themselves gifts and anointings are not enough. But a godly character that is nurtured by the Holy Spirit, is.
For with the right character, God will be able to use you to accomplish great things and He will give you the grace to do impossible and amazing things for His praise and glory.
