Giftedness and Character: The Path to Redemption

Devotional

Day 1: The Peril of Giftedness Without Character

Giftedness, while inherently good, can become a burden if not accompanied by character. It can lead to self-centeredness and a fragile identity, as individuals may become consumed by the desire to be seen as the best. This often results in pain when encountering others who surpass them in various areas. The challenge lies in appreciating the giftedness of others, especially those who excel in areas we value. By doing so, we can free ourselves from the ego-driven need to be the best and avoid the pitfalls of pride and envy. [01:52]

"For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor." (Galatians 6:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone whose gifts you admire but also envy. How can you genuinely celebrate their giftedness today without comparing yourself to them?

Day 2: The Consequences of Pride and Lust

The story of Abelard and Heloise serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of giftedness without character. Abelard, a brilliant scholar, fell due to his pride and lust, leading to his ruin. In contrast, Heloise responded to their downfall with humility and love, finding redemption. Their narrative highlights the importance of character in sustaining giftedness and the potential for ruin when pride and lust take precedence. [06:39]

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a time when pride led you to make a poor decision. What steps can you take today to cultivate humility in that area of your life?

Day 3: Reinvention vs. Redemption

Reinvention and redemption are two responses to ruin. Reinvention is often self-administered and lacks the depth of redemption, which involves repentance and forgiveness. Abelard chose reinvention, while Heloise found redemption through humility and love. Her story exemplifies how true transformation comes from acknowledging one's brokenness and seeking forgiveness, rather than merely attempting to reinvent oneself. [09:34]

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10, ESV)

Reflection: Consider an area of your life where you have tried to reinvent yourself. How might seeking redemption through humility and forgiveness bring deeper transformation?

Day 4: Surrendering Giftedness for Character Growth

We are called to surrender our giftedness and focus on character growth. By rejoicing in the gifts of others and accepting our own with gratitude, we can avoid the pitfalls of pride and envy. This focus on character can lead to a better story, one of redemption and possibly resurrection. Embracing humility and love allows us to grow in character and experience true transformation. [11:02]

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one gift you possess that you often use to define your worth. How can you surrender this gift to God and focus on developing your character instead?

Day 5: Ruin as a New Beginning

Ruin is not the end of the story; it can be the beginning of a better one. By surrendering our giftedness and focusing on character growth, we can experience redemption and possibly resurrection. This transformation is what makes a story great, as it allows us to rise from the ashes of our failures and embrace a new beginning filled with hope and purpose. [11:35]

"And I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you." (Joel 2:25, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a time when you experienced a personal ruin. How can you view this as a new beginning and seek God's guidance for redemption and growth?

Sermon Summary

In today's world, the desire to be gifted is prevalent. People yearn to be talented, smart, attractive, and successful. While giftedness is inherently good, it can become a burden if not accompanied by character. Dallas Willard often spoke about the dangers of giftedness without character, using Samson as an example. Giftedness can lead to self-centeredness, making it a poor foundation for identity. It's easy to get caught up in wanting to be seen as gifted, but this often leads to pain when we encounter others who surpass us in various areas.

The challenge is to appreciate the giftedness of others, especially those who excel in areas we value. This appreciation can free us from the ego-driven need to be the best. The story of Abelard and Heloise illustrates the consequences of giftedness without character. Abelard, a brilliant scholar, and Heloise, a learned woman, had a scandalous love affair that led to their ruin. Abelard's pride and lust led to his downfall, while Heloise's response to their ruin was one of redemption through humility and love.

The narrative of Abelard and Heloise highlights two responses to ruin: reinvention and redemption. Reinvention is self-administered and often lacks the depth of redemption, which involves repentance and forgiveness. Abelard reinvented himself, but Heloise found redemption through her brokenness and humility. Their story reminds us that giftedness without character can lead to ruin, but redemption is possible through humility and love.

Today, we are called to surrender our giftedness and focus on character growth. We should rejoice in the gifts God has given others and accept our own with gratitude. By asking others about our character and seeking to grow, we can avoid the pitfalls of pride and envy. Ruin is not the end of the story; it can be the beginning of a better story, one of redemption and possibly resurrection.

Key Takeaways

1. centeredness and ruin. It's essential to appreciate the giftedness of others and not let our ego drive us to be the best. This appreciation can liberate us from the need to compare ourselves to others. [01:52]
2. The story of Abelard and Heloise illustrates the consequences of pride and lust. Abelard's downfall was due to his lack of character, while Heloise found redemption through humility and love. Their story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of giftedness without character.

3. Reinvention and redemption are two responses to ruin. While reinvention is self-administered and often lacks depth, redemption involves repentance and forgiveness. Heloise's redemption through humility and love is a powerful example of how to respond to ruin.

4. We are called to surrender our giftedness and focus on character growth. By rejoicing in the gifts of others and accepting our own with gratitude, we can avoid the pitfalls of pride and envy. This focus on character can lead to a better story, one of redemption and possibly resurrection.

5. Ruin is not the end of the story; it can be the beginning of a better one. By surrendering our giftedness and focusing on character growth, we can experience redemption and possibly resurrection. This transformation is what makes a story great.

** [01:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:42] - The Burden of Giftedness
[01:15] - The Ego's Gravitational Pull
[01:52] - Appreciating Others' Gifts
[02:18] - The Story of Abelard and Heloise
[03:40] - The Price of Love and Ruin
[04:39] - Abelard's Misfortunes
[05:24] - The Public Face of Guilt
[06:39] - Pride and Lust's Downfall
[07:26] - The Consequences of Betrayal
[08:32] - Reinvention vs. Redemption
[09:55] - Heloise's Redemption
[10:30] - Surrendering Giftedness
[11:35] - Ruin as a New Beginning
[12:06] - Community and Connection

Sermon Clips

Giftedness is not a bad thing that's part of why it's called gifts gift is good um but Dallas Willard would often talk about how it's a great burden to be gifted and not have the character to Bear it Samson is perhaps the poster boy of this in the New Testament. [00:00:46]

Giftedness has a way of tending to make me focus on me and uh it's a very bad foundation for identity and I know what it's like to be caught up in this to feel like uh I want to be known or thought of or think of myself as somebody who is gifted. [00:01:05]

Very often people who for whatever reason are not as wrapped up in the sense of themselves as being gifted are liberated or free to enjoy the giftedness of other people so I'll tell you right now the um takeaway from today is for you today to look at and enjoy the giftedness of others. [00:01:43]

The price of their love is their ruin their fall is their Radiance their loss will raise a question is tragedy possible for a Christian the man is a dark guard Breton named Peter abalar the woman is uh Parisian known only as Heloise he will write a memoir about his fall. [00:03:36]

Ruin has many causes takes many forms we're most accustomed to thinking of it in financial and moral terms the investor brokage firm that made foolish greedy choices is wiped out elderly couple who squaded their life savings on a Ponzi scheme is left destitute a revered evangelist is found with a prostitute. [00:05:01]

In Christian thought ruin is just one modality of Life reduced to lowb we are no longer in the realm of restless as we were with Augustine ruin is a metaphor that uh evokes a great Temple that lies in Ruins and story story with its Relentless mechanics of beginning middle and end. [00:05:38]

Now for abalar the the decline is his pride and lust he diagnoses his own Flawless writes with classic Precision uh he becomes bored with himself and launches from academic combat to the field of sexual Conquest with Eloise who is much younger than him beautiful very bright. [00:06:34]

It is clear by now that abelard and Heloise model two distinct responses to ruin of the many possibilities two stand out reinvention and Redemption of more recent coinage reinvention is the new self-administered Redemption it chooses among many options there may be an artistic redo of a ruined life. [00:08:32]

Reinvention with it Sheera and unlimited possibilities seems to have risen in value while the language of redemption the Deep requirements associated with it such as repentance and forgiveness have gone the way of cliche abelard ler says reinvented himself but Heloise was redeemed her life remained broken. [00:09:12]

Today surrender the giftedness she like I have no control over what gifts were or were not given to me God is not going to ask me why weren't you more gifted then giftedness by its nature is so comparative it's always uh am I not just smart but smarter than other people. [00:10:30]

To rejoice in the gifts that God has given to others and to accept my own with gratitude and then to ask somebody else today what do you see in my character how might my character grow and when I experience those moment of twinge discontent or Envy or Pride or lust in the desire for what belongs to somebody else. [00:10:54]

If you go through ruin and you may many do to remember it's not the end of the story and it could be the beginning of a better story not a story of self-reinvention but a story of redemption which may one day be a story of Resurrection. [00:11:35]

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