Milli Vanilli and Psalm 15
Last night at small group we were talking about “exceptional qualities” in Daniel 6, the Scriptures tell us that the leaders in Babylon had taken note of these extraordinary attributes…based on the passage we don’t know if the exceptional qualities meant giftedness or character.
This has me thinking about the difference between the two. First I’ll work to define them.
Gifts are the talents, strengths, abilities that we possess. Giftedness is to possess the good things that come from God (James 1:17) We could probably rattle off many more things that giftedness includes…athleticism, good looks, charisma, savvy, artistic talent. We live in a culture that idolizes giftedness and rewards it; giftedness makes great reality TV. Giftedness is the stuff we have that gets the stuff we want. Giftedness makes other people look at you and say WOW! Giftedness is good but not the greatest good.
Character on the other hand is the willingness to do what is right as defined by God regardless the personal cost. It’s the absolute core of who we are, the way we think and feel and intend and choose.
Have you ever envied someone else’s giftedness? Their looks, their vert, their voice, their education, waistline, hairline, bottom line?
Check this out, the desire for giftedness often leads to envy. But for some reason the desire for character never produces envy. We don’t envy character. We get jealous over someone’s success not their integrity.
Giftedness is easy to demonstrate.
Character is hard to develop.
While the world rewards giftedness, God blesses character. When we focus on giftedness we undermine the development of godly character in our life. If pressure comes that is greater than your gifts and the character isn’t there, the giftedness will take you out.
Rob and Fab demonstrated this one. Milli Vanilli had the looks, they pulled off the appearance, they had all the giftedness to become pop music stars – except the gift to sing…so they faked it. Their charisma stretched wider than their character did deep and it destroyed them.
While we know that giftedness will help us climb ladders, in Psalm 15, David asks the question Lord, who may climb your holy hill, who can dwell on high with you?
The answer to this question is found in the remainder of Psalm 15. Read through the words of this psalm slowly and ask God to examine your heart. Ask the Father to reveal anything in your heart that is outside of this ascent toward wholeness. Character determines our capacity to be with God to experience God and to know God.
While the world aims at giftedness, may you remain tenacious about the texture of your character today. Remember that the deepening of your character develops deeper intimacy with God and creates inertia toward emotional wholeness.
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
The best way to avoid Milli Vinilli moments is to walk the Psalm 15 path.
Deal with your mistakes, do what is right, tell the truth, don’t gossip, side with those who are right, deliver the goods, share what you have, don’t take advantage of others financially….exceptional qualities that lead to extraordinary character.
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