Character Over Charisma: Unlocking Your True PotentialSample

I believe that the sooner in life that one can understand the different roles that character and charisma play within their personal and professional lives, the sooner that they will be able to reach the potential that they have for happiness, peace, and success. Often, this is a lesson that is only learned later on in life. However, the Bible makes a point to display the importance of one’s character many times over.

There are moments within the Bible in which even the wisest of individuals, by nature, chose charisma over character.

One of the most prominent incidents would be in 1 Samuel 16 when God instructs Samuel to go to Jesse, as one of his sons will be the next king of Israel. As Samuel meets the oldest son, Eliab, he makes the assumption that Eliab is to be the new king. God, however, says this in 1 Samuel 16:7:

“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Confused, Samuel moves on to the other sons. Eight sons were rejected. Now remember, these sons would go on to become soldiers. These young men were impressive, and any of them could have been mistaken as the clear choice for the new king of Israel. Jesse and Samuel both were certain that one of them would be chosen by God. They were so certain, in fact, that when Samuel asks if these are all of Jesse’s sons, Jesse mentions that his youngest son, David, was not called. David was tending to the sheep. This indicates that Jesse did not even consider David, as he did not bother to call David inside.

In 1 Samuel 16:12, David is anointed. David, who would go on to defeat Goliath, and later be known as King David, was chosen not because of his charisma, but because of his character. If God held charisma in the same stature as people do, then surely one of his brothers would have been chosen.

God, however, saw David’s character and knew that he would go on to accomplish great things for the people of Israel.

The instruction from God to look beyond charisma and focus on character changed history forever.