3 Reasons Why Character is Important in the Ministry

God knows the importance of good reputation in the ministry, and He also knows that only a godly character can produce it. If God is not concerned about our reputation, He would not deal with the character of all the people whom He mightily used throughout the history of humanity.

God dealt with Abraham’s faith for ten years before Isaac was born. He first changed the way Jacob walked before He blessed him with a new name. Not only Joseph’s dreams were put into test but also his character as God prepared him to save an entire nation. He let Saul’s bitterness haunt David for several years because He wanted to refine the spirit of Israel’s next king. We could go on and on telling how God is more concerned in changing the character of His people than in giving them their dreams and desires.

God must work in us before He can work through us. Warren Wiersbe observed that “God is more interested in the workman than in the work. If the workman is what he ought to be, the work will be what it ought to be.”

The way God deals with our spirit implies that a person of character is, indeed, important in the ministry. If He wants something to be fulfilled, He calls people, fills them with His Spirit, and starts dealing with their character.

The Importance of Character in the Ministry

1. Character keeps us focused on the main thing.

“Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name,” the seventy-two followers said enthusiastically. But Jesus told them, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:19–20). The main thing is not what we do in the Kingdom of God, but who we are in the sight of God.

Saul’s life is an example that we could hide our poor character behind the royal robes of our “ministry.” People could still acknowledge us as their king despite the fact that the anointing of His Spirit already left us. We could have a “form of godliness,” but “deny the power thereof” (II Timothy 3:5). If we separate consecration of character from our ministry, one of them will certainly fail.

Reputation is what other people think of us; character is what God and the whole heaven knows about us. In the end, when all things are said and done, what matters most is who we really are in the sight of God.

Jesus warned his disciples, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22–23). The main thing is never the reputation of performing miracles, signs and wonders; the main thing is to do what is right in the sight of God.

In the ministry, T.F. Tenney advises the young preachers, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Let’s keep our eyes focused on the true prize of the high calling of God!

2. Character empowers our ministry.

If knowledge is the only key to effective ministry, God would not bother leading Moses to the country of Midian for forty years. Moses had the best education Egypt could offer during his days. He learned “all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds” (Acts 7:22b). However, his educational attainment was not enough to lead the children of Israel to the land flowing with milk and honey.

Moses lived as a stranger in Midian. His life there was entirely different from the luxurious life he had in the royal palace of Egypt. He learned the principles of humility and submission. Having a wife, two sons and a father-in-law also taught him the necessary character to harmoniously live with his family. While God used Egypt to feed Moses’ mind with wisdom, He used Midian to refine Moses’ character.

After the forty-year period of character training, God called Moses from the burning bush. Now that Moses’ spirit was ready for the ministry that God intended him to do, God revealed the power that He invested in Moses’ life – his staff. Moses’ powerful ministry in the wilderness was a product of knowledge and character training. Knowledge is, indeed, power. However, character is also power.

Let us consider Simon the sorcerer as another example. Simon was with those who believed Philip’s preaching concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 8:12). He was baptised in Jesus’ name (Acts 8:13) and was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17). After his conversion, however, he coveted the power of laying on of hands, saying, “Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost” (Acts 8:19).

Peter immediately rebuked him, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God” (Acts 8:20–21, emphasis mine).

The flip-side of what Peter said is also true: the gift of God (power) only comes when our heart is right in the sight of God. The power that God wants to invest in our ministry would make someone a saint. We are only qualified to have this saint-making power if we first have made ourselves a saint.

3. Character gives us authority.

After telling some marvellous parables concerning the Kingdom of God, the disciples decided to go to the other side of the sea of Galilee. As the boats travelled across the sea, a windstorm suddenly came and struck the sea, causing the waves to splash into the boat. The boat where Jesus was found sleeping was about to sink.

In fear, the disciples woke their Master up. Jesus, disturbed in His “good-night sleep,” calmly walked into the edge of the boat and said, “Peace, be still.” The wind immediately stopped, and there was a great calm in the sea.

I often wondered if Jesus shouted “Peace, be still” to calm the sea, but the King James Version of the Bible didn’t put an exclamation point at the end of this sentence in Mark 4:39. Furthermore, did God shout “Let there be light” in Genesis 1:3? Or was His word powerful and authoritative enough that He didn’t need to speak louder? If the still small voice of God is enough to change our lives and our circumstances, I don’t think that there was a need for Jesus to shout “Peace, be still.”

I once was the Governor of the Supreme Student Government in Adamson University for one term. As a student leader, I helped the officers in implementing the rules of the school especially concerning discipline. I remember going from one floor to another, seeing students entering their rooms as I walked the corridors of the building. I didn’t say any word to tell them what to do, but the authority I had as the Governor was enough to create an atmosphere of discipline.

Jesus has all authority and power over all the earth. What happened on the sea of Galilee is an example to us that a person of authority could do something in a second than what others could do in their lifetime. We become effective in the ministry if we are a person of authority.

Nevertheless, we cannot become a person of authority if we do not become a person of character first. Andy Stanley said that the recipe of authority is character, sacrifice and time. “Moral authority is the credibility you earn by walking your talk.” When who we are privately matches who we are publicly, we create credibility. Credibility then gives us the authority we need in ministering to people.

We need proper character to gain significant influence and authority. Position may get people to obey us, but consistent godly character gets people to follow us. It will hurt our ministry if the people only follow us because they have to. When we are a person of character, living a life that Christ lived, people will rally behind us not because they have to, but because they want to.