Charisma and character are important qualities in an
outstanding leader. Which is more important?
Charisma
is a wonderful quality that leaders should have. Those with charisma have what
it takes to inspire and influence others.
However,
charisma should not be a substitute for character. The danger of charisma—whether it is personal magnetism or the
capacity to perform miracles—arises when it is
used as a cover-up for truth
or character flaws. *
Did
Jesus have much charisma? The prophet Isaiah
described Jesus as having “no form or majesty that we should look at
Him and no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2b). Whatever
charisma Jesus had was his ability to draw great crowds through his miracles
rather than external
appearance.
Charisma
may take us places but it takes character to keep us there or prevent us from
falling. When we attain fame, fortune and power, will we be able to hold on to
the values we once cherished as dear?
The
danger of charisma without character becomes clear when we consider the fact that prominent leaders, miracle
workers and TV evangelists have fallen into disrepute due to gold, glory and girls. **
How
challenging it is to hold on to our values once we have attained success—whether it’s within or outside the church. Indeed,
it is difficult to be modern-day Josephs.
However,
it does not mean that charisma is unimportant. Leaders with good character
who already wield considerable influence over others will be able to go even
further if they had charisma as well. It’s sad that some leaders with
impeccable character—and doctrine correct
to the dot—are spiritually as dry as the
bones in the valley in Ezekiel’s vision.
Finally, what do you think is the true measure of
a Christian leader? Is it based on his eloquence,
public image or popularity as judged by the number of followers and ‘likes’ he
gets on social media? Does it rest on how much anointing or power he has? Or
how many spectacular miraculous feats he can perform? Are there not other important considerations such as character,
intimacy with God, obedience, self-denial and faithfulness? The foregoing does
not imply that charisma and spiritual gifts are unimportant. The moral of the
story is that we must not put the cart before the horse.
Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to
me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name
drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them
plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away
from me, you evildoers!’
(Matthew
7: 21-23).
Those
who think that they are perpetually in God’s good books just because they have
been used by God to perform extraordinary miracles would need to sit up, pause
and reflect.
If
you put me in a spot and make me choose one or the other, I would prefer ‘character’
over ‘charisma’.
FOOTNOTES:
Disclaimer: This article does not to refer
to any particular church denomination. Praise God, there are many church leaders
who have both charisma and character, no matter which
church they come from. Conversely, anyone—from
whichever church—can fall into sin and
disrepute (1 Corinthians 10:12, Jeremiah 17:9).
The
charisma
in the article above is meant to refer to the following:
The term charisma has two senses: (1) compelling
attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, (2) a divinely
conferred power or talent (Source: Wikipedia).
According
to the Free Online Dictionary, charisma is defined as:
(a) A rare personal quality attributed to leaders who arouse
fervent popular devotion and enthusiasm.
(b) Personal magnetism or charm.
(c) An
extraordinary power, such as the ability to perform miracles, granted by the
Holy Spirit.
* Definition
of cover-up: a planned effort to hide a
dishonest, immoral, or illegal act or situation.
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ReplyDelete- Abraham Lincoln