I wrote the bulk of this post first as a comment in response to another comment on Better Bibles Blog. But I caught myself before submitting it, because I realized it would probably be better as a post here than a comment there.
For background, Wayne Leman has a survey in progress about personality types and Bible translation preferences. The whole comment thread is great reading. I’m always amazed at how many bloggers are iNtuitives (using the MBTI descriptions), and I’ve noticed that again in the comments section.
In any case, one comment pushed an emotional button. (Pushed a button for me isn’t negative–it’s just that when someone says something that touches an emotion, I respond in a way that I can never do when I just try to think about it or write about it from my head.) Here are selections from a commenter named Bill:
Now, to say that “I AM” a certain type… that assumes I always follow my own past tendencies. But then there’s following the Lord in my spirit…
What is the “tendency” of someone who follows the Lord?
They’re (hopefully) an L-O-R-D.
…to be completely fair, I’m pretty sure Briggs-Meyers professionals will say no one “absolutely” follows one of the 16 temperments all the time, either.But their point is that human beings are prone to patterned behavior. What kind of behavior are spirit-led (am I dreaming here?) christians “prone to”?
And here’s the response that my emotions immediately concocted:
Bill,
Your comments about MBTI vs. spirit-led life made me smile a bit, because it reminded me of a conversation I had with a very extraverted friend who couldn’t really grasp what I was explaining about being an introvert. She listened, a bit incredulously to my explanation, and at the end was like, “Well, that’s all fine and good, but doesn’t Jesus make any difference in your life? What’s it mean for Him to transform you?” I almost laughed right then, because I realized that the things I was saying that I thought were good, she was seeing as faults–perhaps she thought I was giving her insight into what was wrong with me! And so, was all that explanation just excusing my faults instead of letting Jesus transform me? I told her, “Well, I think it means I’ll look more like Him, but probably NOT more like you “
Of course there are weaknesses and sin tendencies I’m especially prone to with my personality type (I don’t say that prescriptively; it is admittedly stereotypical and descriptive). However, Jesus doesn’t make me less like how He made me the first time when He formed me, when He is now conforming me into His image. He makes me more like Him, changes my heart attitudes, etc. But perhaps, for example, I’m called to reflect the serious side of His image more completely while another friend reflects the social side of Him more clearly.
I think I’m oversimplifying things here. But, I notice that when people try to change me (or when pastors work to bring conviction), they are often addressing typical personality traits (like “your seriousness isn’t reflecting the joy of the Lord” etc). When God convicts me and works to bring about change, it’s usually less a personality issue and more a direct sin thing.
I do appreciate and enjoy the dialogue that has been stirred up by Wayne’s post.
I totally agree. And I am learning to appreciate other personality types other than my own. Some of them are much easier for me to appreciate than others. But the Lord reminds me that he has made each type for his own purpose. There are no bad personality types, at least among the 16 in the M-B categories.
Great post! My wife and I are almost polar opposites in personality, which inevitably leads to conflict. When cooler heads prevail, she’s fond of telling me that she doesn’t want to change who I naturally am, she just wants me to be a better “me”. That’s where I see Christ’s transformation – not changing who we intrinsically are, but refining us into better versions of ourselves.
ElShaddai, “A better me”.
Hmm, I have a love/hate relationship with the word better. But that’s a long story, and I don’t really disagree with you on your point–just the semantics. I’d say, “He’s making who I am reflect His glory and holiness more.” There I go nitpicking about words, when really we’re saying similar things!
Wayne, “Some of them are easier to appreciate than others.” I agree. And that’s relative, I think, to my starting point. Sort of like a certain language being harder, not because it inherently is (Chinese children learn to speak Chinese as early as my kids learned to speak English), but because of how that language compares to the one(s) I already know and understand.
Really enjoyed this post! I linked to it at my place and posted a bit about our uniqueness.
Blessings, Bob
Bob, I appreciate your stopping by. It was good to read your perspective on this topic at eye4redemption. I thought this comment said it very well: “Then someone comes along who loves so differently and trusts in a way that we are not used to … these people should inspire us but instead they bring out our insecurities and cause us to retreat into what we are accustomed to. ”
A particular friend and I were marveling today at how God has enriched our lives because of our differences and diferent perspectives and different ways we trust. It makes my heart rejoice and worship to experience the fellowship that comes as we make space for the differences of others, and then see God’s glory reflected in beautiful ways through people’s differences, submitted to Him. We continue to be incredibly different, yet the bond between us grows stronger. I sense that, but it was good for me to see it expressed so well in your words.