He was quite vocal and gifted when he came to church. He had stories of how God had used him in various places and how he has been a pastor and all that. He claimed that God “led” him to our church. Well, I welcomed him to church and subjected him to the existing process in the house. Not too long after, he left.
Friend, don’t place gifts above growth. For you to go far in life and destiny, learn to manage your gifts with the required kingdom processes. God does not commit to people at the level of their gifts but at the level of their growth and character development (1 Samuel 16:7). Senior leaders who know what they are doing also work with this principle.
Your gift is not a true reflection of your walk with the Lord; your character is. Anyone can be gifted or talented, but it takes those who have a solid walk with the Lord to manifest the right character. You cannot really tell who a person is until you check his character, and character is only known with time (Matthew 7:20).
When you rush to commit to people based on their gifts, you would be shooting yourself in the leg without knowing (1 Timothy 5:22). Dear sister, don’t fall for his sweet words and charismatic displays. Check out his character. Check out who he is beyond the facade of public performance. Notice his actions and reactions at changing times and circumstances; these are true reflectors of who people are.
While it is important to recognize and celebrate gifts, we must not be blinded by them; we must dig deep into the real person (1 Samuel 16:6). In your walk with the Lord, don’t place gifts above growth. Don’t measure your life by how much you are performing on the outside but by how much you are developing on the inside. When the chips are down, it is the strength of your character that would determine your end.
Your character reveals how much of the fruits of the Spirit that you have cultivated (Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 5:9). It shows how much of kingdom processes you have gone through and submitted to. While we must remember that nobody is perfect, we also need to realize that people must be given the time and opportunity to go through the processes that would mature them (1 Timothy 3:6). There is nothing as beautiful as a gifted man with sound character (Psalms 78:70-72).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria
