A Balance between Gift and Character

 “Talents are best nurtured in solitude. The character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world.”- Johann von Goethe



“Character is that which can do without success.”
-          Ralph Waldo Emerson


Many Churches have emphasized the gift and power of a leader, far above his character development. This imbalance has caused many problems in the Church, including backsliding of many leaders. Today, however, God is bringing us back to a balance between gift and character. The Lord is not concerned with a leader's gift and anointing only. He also cares deeply about a leader's lifestyle and character. He desires a balance between gift and character in every one of His true leaders.

What Character is Not

To help define what character is, let us see what it is not.

1. Character is not just what a person will ideally be in the future. Character is what is at this present time. When pressure comes to a person’s life, the real person surfaces.  A person may act and think one way under the blessings of the Lord, but quite another way when trials and heat of life are his portion.

 2. Character is not only how a person acts. Character also includes a person’s inner thoughts, motives and attitudes. Thoughts, though hidden, indicate the real character of a person. Motives, too, are true expressions of the inner man. To change the character of a person, one must go deeper than action.

3. Character does not appear without pressure. The pressures of life test what the Lord has really accomplished in a person’s character. When the heat is upon the person’s character, his true character surfaces. The common irritations of everyday living expose he weakness in every person’s life. How do you respond to the disappointments and pressures of everyday life? Character is formed under such pressures and circumstances. The qualities that are truly part of a person’s character are consistent, whether the heat is on or off his life.

 4. Character is not only that which other people see on the external. Character is what other people do not see. People may see only the side of the person that a person wants to display, but God sees the real person. An individual cannot hide his weakness from the Lord. Man may look at the external, but the Lord looks at the heart. The Lord commands good works from each one of us, but these must proceed out of a godly character. A person can do many outward religious works, and still be ungodly. Works are not always sign of good character.

 5. Character is not limited to having the wisdom to comment on the behavior of others. Intellectually know how to act, think and feel consistently with the Bible principles may be a far cry from actually living in harmony with those principles.  A person with true character doesn’t just verbally tell other people what to do, but lives as an example worthy of following.

 6. Character is not limited to relationships between Christians. To believe that it does not matter how a Christian acts toward non-Christians is a deception. Character shows forth godly principles in every situation and toward all people. For example, a Christian worker must give the same respect to an employer whether he is a Christian or not.

 7. Character is not limited to a person’s relationship with his spiritual family. It also shows in how he treats his natural family. A Christian must demonstrate his faith and love in the way he treats his immediate family. A person’s character can be discerned by the way he respects and honors his mother and father. A Christian with an unbelieving natural family can win his family to Christ by having a mature, loving character toward them. 

The Definition of Character

If there must be a balance between gift and character, what is character? The following descriptions display the different aspects of a definition of the word “character”:

Character is the seat of one’s moral being.

Character is the inner life of a man. It will reflect either the traits of the sinful nature (being influenced by the world) or the traits of the divine nature (being influenced by the Word of God).

Character is the combination of qualities distinguishing any person or class of persons.

Character is displayed in the action of an individual under pressure.

Finally, character is the sum total of all the negative and positive qualities in a person’s life, exemplified by one’s thoughts, values, motivations, attitudes, feelings and actions.

Greek meanings.  The greek word for character offers much insight. In the King James Version, this Greek word, “character” is translated “image.”  “Charakter,” a noun, is derived from the word “charasso,” which means a notch, indentation, a sharpening, scratching or writing on stone, wood or metal.  This word came to mean an embosser and a stamp for making coins.  From this, it came to mean the embossed stamp made on the coin, or a character styled in writing. This Greek word appears in the New Testament only in Hebrews 1:3. Here, the writer states that Christ is the very character of God, the very stamp of God’s nature, and the one whom God stamped or imprinted His being. Consequently, we derive the meaning of our English word “character” as a distinctive mark impressed, or otherwise formed, by an outside (or internal) force upon individual.

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