Winston Churchill, John Lennon, Albert Einstein, Oscar Wilde, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa, and Princess Dianna are some of the most charismatic people of all time. However, the number one person at the top of The Top Tens List of most charismatic people of all time is Jesus Christ.
The other side of this reality is the people with charisma who chose to use their influence in corrupt and evil ways such as Nero, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Charles Manson, to name a few. All of these people held the belief it was okay to manipulate and abuse others as long as they achieved their goal. Through their deception and manipulation, they were able to convince and to control enough people to carry out their evil, self-serving plans.
To recognize when charisma is infected with evil, and it becomes corrupt, you will need to understand the pure origin versus the definition of charisma. The dictionary defines charisma as:
- To inspire through enthusiasm
- Interest or affection by using personal charm or influence
- Gift of power believed to be divinely bestowed.
The English term charisma is from the Greek χάρισμα (khárisma), which means”favor freely given” or “gift of grace.” Grace says it all when you look at the people who shared their gift of charisma to make the world a better place. The perfect way to evaluate the motive and intention of a charismatic person is to hold up their character, words, and action up to the life of Jesus Christ. He is the one and true standard to evaluate charisma and ensure you will not be deceived or manipulated and caught in the talons of abuse.
Listen carefully, evaluate peoples hearts and words through God’s grace, and you will recognize when charisma is corrupt. Let me know how you have been caught off guard and how you escaped.
