Yes, pastor, your character is expected to match your giftedness

On a day where we discovered an abusive ex-pastor was back in the pulpit, God puts two quotes unrelated to the topic matter in front of me; I think the Spirit may be revealing something:

“I value the anointing, but if the anointing on your life only heals the sick, casts out devils, and causes you to preach with power but yet you still have poor character, are unfaithful and lack integrity you need to sit down.” — Chris Mathis.

“Sit down.” Could that mean “go home”? I do think so. Of the recent case, the one who said to the other, “go home,” should in fact be the one to go home. He should sit down. His character and that of his buddies was found wanting. It is HE that disqualifies himself.

Here’s the second one:

“When someone is particularly gifted verbally and theologically, it is easy for us to assume maturity. The ability to articulate theological truths well does not necessarily mean that one is an obedient servant of God.” — Diane Langberg, PhD.

With our BS gear engaged, most of us with any gift of discernment smell something fishy in someone who is particularly gifted and charming. The charmer is also usually the narcissist, because, let’s face it, someone with integrity doesn’t need to add charm; they have charm that surpasses worldly charisma that charlatan leaders have in spades. The charmer woos the crowds who cannot see the fakery, many for whom it really does not matter.

But, of course, it matters! It has always mattered, and it will never stop mattering.

It’s at this point that God reveals Matthew chapter 7, verses 21, 22 and 23.

Hear what Jesus says, you abusive pastors: 
“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!’”

“ONLY THE ONE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER…”

The unique thing about pastoral ministry is the need of its proponents to match gifts with character, which is a sharp call on some who are without doubt very gifted intellectually.

With no doubt whatsoever, the sharp theological mind is a gift, but the heart is anything but, for the heart requires work, and heart work is hard, for it demands humility—not the appearance of humility, which is false humility.

There are many ordinary persons, however, who have been blessed with extraordinarily diligently obedient hearts, who sense with feelers of empathic humility. Their moral warehouses are both plentiful and functional and they’re likely very sensitive individuals; usually most prone to being abused, who wouldn’t cope with even the thought of abusing another person.

This one, and not the charismatic one, is more and most fit for ministry, which involves the inherent task of stewarding souls for the Kingdom. It’s a selfless call, because ministers are constantly called to be ‘less than’ so others can be ‘more than’.

~

More and more in the present and coming days will we come to expect leaders’ characters to more than match their giftedness.

More and more, it’s hoped, we become intrinsically more sceptical when a Christian leader is especially charming.

And may the charm we grow to be fond of be a humble charm of one who is beyond reproach through being extraordinarily ordinary and certainly no generator of ‘fans’.