"Is the charismatic movement really just about operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit?"This past Sunday morning, my pastor (Bishop Fred A. Caldwell, Sr., Ph.D.) shed some light on "charisma" that opened my eyes to some things I've never before considered. (He's just embarked upon a series of teachings on spiritual gifts.) But first thing's first: the Greek word "charis", from which we get "charisma", means "grace".
Grace is a familiar concept for us as believers. After all, we've been justified (or rendered innocent) by GOD's grace, according to Romans 3:22-23 and Titus 3:7. But not only have we been made just by the grace of GOD, but that same grace is part of who we are. Ephesians 4:7 instructs us that we all have been given grace (or charisma) according to the measure of Christ's gift to us. Therefore, it's quite safe to say that every believer has charisma.
In our human understanding, we commonly refer to charisma just as Webster does: "a special magnetic charm or appeal". And while that's true, what we've overlooked is the fact that the Bible clearly states that GOD's grace is the source of this appeal. What we've been taught, however, is that the charismatic movement is just about operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit (e.g. speaking in tongues). In no way am I saying that there's no truth to this. But I am saying that this a very narrow view of the GOD-kind of charisma.
When we allow the LORD to show on our faces, that's when we truly begin to walk in the charismatic. It is when the grace of GOD is manifested in our lifestyles (for others to see) that we can experience the full measure of Christ's gift to us, which ensures likeability (Proverbs 16:7) and victory (Luke 10:19). By expanding our conceptual understanding of the charismatic movement to include the flow of GOD's grace in our lives, we can finally see that the charismatic approach to life is really about having a perpetually positive attitude. Therefore, it's the grace of GOD empowering us to approach each day of our lives with an attitude that generates the special magnetic charm or appeal that we commonly refer to as charisma.
