So this month lets begin compare gifting with character.

What is gifting? Well, the dictionary says it is to be endued with any power or faculty. Something that is given or bestowed.
Now this can refer to natural or spiritual gifts or talents. We are obviously most familiar with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Lets be clear gifting is good. It can be a large part of your unique contribution to the world. It is what you have or are given to achieve your purpose in life (nevertheless you still have to nurture it in order for it to properly be of use)
Again we can substitute gifting for character. That is why we get confused if a gifted individual especially a Christian falls or fails. We are looking on the outward appearance rather than what is going on inside.

Let me give you an example. We all know Johann Strauss 1 and recall famous waltzes composed by his gifting in music and he became very successful. However we forget that he treated his wife rotten, ran off with a mistress and tried to prevent his son from moving into the same anointing (for want of a better word) as him. He had a great gift but lousy character.
So often today the world ignores the character and lifts up the gift. I believe that is the wrong way round and God is not going to allow that much longer so we have to emphasis character and help people to develop.

So lets take a look at basic understanding of character and get some knowledge here. Simply put

It is qualities that you develop over your life
It has to do with your value system and your choices
Oswald Chambers in his book “Biblical Ethics” describes it as the standard of authority within ourselves. It is a source of power and not a limitation.

Ask yourself what standard do you hold to inside yourself where few people see but God sees? Is that different to what shows on the surface? What is on the inside governs the way you do life but we do not always recognise that.

Some of your character is going to come from learnt principles from parents or shared principles with friends (that is why you need to choose friends carefully) What and who you allow to influence you now has an effect on what you become in the future. The character or value systems of those you hang around with or admire matters. So take a long hard look at this and ask yourself “is that person or that thing or that activity a benefit or a hindrance to my long term character development”?

Character also comes from your own personal choices and values. What you place upon yourself. That affects you as a moral (or immoral) thinking being. It is the source of your conscience or lack of it.

Now it doesn’t take much for me to point out that from a Christian perspective when you accept Christ your spirit is reborn and you are not the same. We must recognise however that our in built character remains the same. Yes, we must not forget the transforming power of Christ. There are many examples of people who change some things instantly as a result of making Jesus the Lord of their lives. I am sure all of us can identify with that to a larger or smaller extent. We have to admit though that this is only part of the story. In reality most of our character has to be retrained.

In Christ our aim should be to work to change our character so that it falls in line with Gods. Math 6:33 talks about seeking after His kingdom and His righteousness or as Gloria Copeland says “His way of doing and being right”. Now you cannot do that unless you find out what His way is. What His value system is. The only way of doing that for certain is to see what the Word of God says and then adjust your thinking to His thinking. It is the process of renewing your mind and there is no short cut. It has to be learned and applied in our lives consistently until it becomes such a part of us that it effects daily how we live.

Here is another reason why this is so important. Webster’s definition of character includes this:
“A mark made by cutting or engraving as on stone, metal or other hard material or a mark or figure made by stamping or impression as on coins”

So like it or not the mark of anyone is the quality impressed by nature or habit on a person, which distinguish you from others.
Think about this. Your character is formed by a cutting into you or your soul and it leaves an impression wherever it goes.

Wherever you go you are not separated from your character. That helps us if we are going to develop Godly character. Renewing our mind becomes the process of creating new marks and impressions and removing old ones. It is a vital picture for us to get hold of. Character does not change overnight. It is a process and we have to submit ourselves to it.

Next month we will begin some of that process in what I call “dealing with the rubbish”

Have a great month.