In case you haven’t attended our summer Wednesday night Pastor’s class, we have been looking at Finding Your PLACE in Life and Ministry.” We are discovering how God has wired each of us to serve Him and the body of Christ. We started out by discovering our personality types. (By the way, if you haven’t attended the class, please see Pastor Bryan who will be happy to give you a PLACE workbook. There’s some incredibly interesting and helpful information in it. And if you haven’t attended one of these studies, I want to encourage you to come!)
To briefly re-cap, we looked at the four primary personality types (through the DISC model):
1. D Personality (Driven Choleric) D’s are…
- Initiating
- Aggressive
- Bold
- Confident
- Controlling
- Strong leaders
- Focused
- Harsh
- Authoritative
2. I Personality (Inspiring Sanguine) I’s are…
- Relational
- Popular
- Carefree
- Charismatic, charming
- Disorganized
- Enjoys life (often the “life of the party”)
- Exaggerates, expressive, extroverted
- People-centered
- Undisciplined
3. S Personality (Steady Phlegmatic) S’s are…
- Calm, cautious
- Consistent
- Dependable
- Diplomatic
- Encouraging
- Indecisive
- Kind, thoughtful
- Lacks drive
- Passive, submissive
- Sweet, people-centered
- Peaceful
4. C Personality (Conscientious Melancholy) C’s are…
- Detail-oriented
- Artistic
- Conservative
- Critical
- Dependable
- Depressed
- Faithful
- Follows rules
- Introverted
- Thinker
- Perfectionist
- Organized
Let me mention a few things about personalities:
Your personality was given to you at birth by God. You are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Think of your personality as God’s gift to you, and ultimately to be used for His glory and others’ good. Many people desire a different personality. Trust our Creator that He has created you with a certain personality for a specific purpose.
And by the way, there is not a “right” or a “wrong” personality. In fact, just the opposite is true. God has created us with unique personalities. We live in a culture that tends to elevate certain personalities; however, God does not do that…He values each personality type.
As you know, Swift Creek’s mission statement is Connecting with God, connecting with others, and connecting others with God. I want to show you how your personality helps you fulfill all three of these:
1. Your personality helps you CONNECT WITH GOD. We all seem to connect with God best in and through the personality God has given us. For example, if you are an introvert, you probably feel closest to God in private. If you are an extrovert, you might love to connect with God in a large group. So, if you are a C personality, you might connect with the Creator when you are creative; as a D personality, you might feel connected when you worship Him through your work (see Colossians 3:23).
In his book Sacred Pathways, author Gary Thomas outlines nine primary spiritual temperaments that help us connect with God. I’m sure you will find it fascinating…check it out here.
2. Your personality helps you CONNECT WITH OTHERS. Introverts connect best with individuals or small groups; extroverts love large groups. D’s love completing a task with others; I’s are always relational; S’s love working as a team; C’s love organizing and seeing the plan come together. Also, your personality helps you to know HOW God wants you to serve others. The key is to find a place and way of serving God and others that requires someone with your personality. For example, if you are a strong introvert, serving as a greeter in church is probably not the best place for you to serve. Perhaps it would be better for you to work behind-the-scenes or in a small group.
3. Your personality helps you CONNECT OTHERS WITH GOD. If you are an S or a C personality, you probably prefer to help others connect with God by working with them one-on-one. You are a loyal person who is usually in the relationship for the long haul. Keep pointing them to Christ! If you are a D or an I personality, you probably prefer to connect others with God in larger groups or through events and activities. You are most likely an excellent “inviter” so you invite people to church or church events. Keep up the good work!
The bottom line is that God has created you in a unique way. And He desires that your personality be an avenue to connect with God, connect with others, and connect others with God.