I’ve watched some of those silly TV game shows where the contestants have to decide between ‘Door One’ or ‘Door Two’. Behind one would be a new car or a large sum of cash and behind the other, well, the opposite.

Which door you focus on impacts you down the road.

Sometimes God tests us by asking, which ‘door’ will you crave? Which path or which thing is more important to you; character or gifting?

I don’t like these dumb games. I want my cake and I want to eat it too!

Why can’t character be a gift?

I want the stuff behind the easy door not the other. It’s that age old question, character or gifting?

Even the great prophet Samuel had to learn this lesson, when God sent him to anoint Israel’s next king, David.

⁶ So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:6-7 NKJ)

Samuel, because of his unique upbringing in the home of Eli, the High Priest, should have seen this door test coming.

“Samuel, not the impressive looking door, but the other one.”

It’s not about the outside, but the heart every time.

A few weeks ago at our church, I had a similar ‘test’ or choice between two different encounters.

Either one on their own would not have been significant, but they happened less than five minutes apart.

“Ah ha, the two door test.”

Lord help me to choose the right one.

That Sunday, the service part was done, but not the gathering together of the people.

I walked into the lobby where five people were praying for a new believer, who was going in for surgery. I already knew why they were praying for her, so I quietly walked up behind the sister and lightly put my hand on her shoulder to pray.

The group was soon done and I removed my hand and started to walk away without a fuss.

She turned around to see who was praying for her from behind, as the rest were in front.

She looked at me and said with a smile, “As soon as I felt your hand, I felt a warmth flowing through your hand to my shoulder.”

She smiled and I thought it was awesome.

I smiled as I walked away. It had happened a few times over the years, and when it does, wow, it’s cool. I have God’s power flowing through me, I must be God’s special servant.

Ok, back to earth Wayne, let’s just smile and leave the real work to God, and not Wayne’s great gifting.

So ends ‘Door One.’

Less than five minutes later, I bumped into ‘Door Two.’

I, like you, have a choice every day, which door will I go for?

I walked back into the auditorium looking for someone, and an older saint pulled me aside to talk.

The last few Sundays, us elders, have been teaching from 1 Timothy on the qualifications of elders and deacons and all their fun character traits.

Will I ever feel like I measure up?

This sister wanted to encourage me (us) as elders, that she has been enjoying the services.

Then ‘Door Two’ revealed itself.

She commented how she thought we measured up so well. She expressed, a genuine appreciation for the character of the leaders in our church.

I thanked her and I immediately knew these two encounters (doors) were a ‘test’, a ‘choice’ from God and not just a happenstance.

Personally, I felt a little overwhelmed, but knew in my heart that the ‘Second Door’ involving character, was the one that I needed to choose.

For several days, I was very impacted by these two choices and I did some musing on those two events.

I knew God set that up. Many of us love to pursue the gifts, especially the ones that demonstrate God’s manifested power. (I do too,)

“I am a great servant of God, look at what I can do in His name.”

It’s a heady thing, to feel vindicated before your peers, when God’s power is demonstrated through our hands and mouth.

But, I Corinthians 13 reveals what God thinks is really important (hint it’s not my glory and vindication).

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. (1 Corinthians 13:1 NKJV)

Our gifting alone, may not get us past the goal line, but I have never heard of one of God’s servants failing because they had too much character.

God help me to focus on ‘Door Two’ every time.