Why Should You Take the Time to Explore Your Personality?

A quick search on the internet reveals thousands of tests to help you determine your personality.   Are you a lion, an otter, a beaver, or a golden retriever?  Gary Smalley can help you out.  Is your temperament choleric, melancholy, sanquine, or phlegmatic?  Tim Lahaye can answer this question.     And, you can even discover how your blood type is reflected in your personality.

With my current favorite online quiz, you can discover which Downton Abbey personality you most resemble.

Other than getting a charge by being able to relate to one of the Crawley sisters, why should you take the time to explore your personality? Isn't it really self-serving to examine your own personality?

I don't think so.  You are a unique individual, a masterpiece, created in the image of God.  The Creator of the universe made you, knit you together, body, heart, mind, soul.  He instilled in you a personality that fits perfectly with His Kingdom purposes for you.

Knowing your personality will make you more effective for the Kingdom of God.

When you know your personality you will be able to:

1. Recognize your limits

Contrary to what you may have heard growing up, you can't be anything or do anything you want to be, but this is good.  Your limits will actually help you to find and fulfill God's purpose for your life.  

2. Rely on others

Knowing your personality, and its limits, help you to truly depend on others.  You see your weak spots and ask others to fill in your gaps.  You can stop being everything for everybody else.  

3. Relate with others

As you understand yourself better, you'll be able to understand others better as well.  You'll be able to appreciate the beautiful diversity of the people in your life and encourage them to be just the person that God made them to be.  

So, how do you get to know yourself better? How do you identify your personality?


Eric Rees, in his book S.H.A.P.E.: Finding and Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose for Life has you consider your personality along two strands:

•  How you relate to others.   

Outgoing or Reserved?
Self-expressive or Self-controlled?
Cooperative or Competitive?

• How you respond to opportunities.

High Risk or Low Risk?
People or Projects?
Follow or Lead?
Team or Solo?
Routine or Variety?

While Rees questions are helpful and will give you a better understanding of yourself, I think that the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator will provide you with the most comprehensive understanding of your personality.

The MBTI has helped me to understand why one Christmas party energizes me, but by January 1st, I desperately need some time by myself.  It's helped know that I need to rely on others to formulate concrete steps to advance vision.  It's helped me understand that the person who provides me with objective feedback isn't being insensitive to my feelings, she's simply using the strength of her personality to help me grow.  It's helped me understand why I'm comfortable moving into action, even without a clear action plan and why this frustrates some people.   Understanding my Myers-Briggs type has helped me in marriage, motherhood, ministry, and in the marketplace.  I think it can help you too.

Although the best way to take the MBTI is with a certified professional, you can also take it online.  The cost of taking the MBTI online is $59.99, but I think it's money well-spent.  Along with simply getting the results, you get a personal profile and interpretation of your results.  If you cannot bring yourself to pay $59.99, then Personality Pathways can get you started.

Why should you take time, energy, and perhaps money to explore your personality?  One reason: knowing your personality will make you more effective for the Kingdom of God enabling you to recognize your limits, rely on others, and relate better with others.

What do you think?  How does knowing your personality  help you to serve God more effectively?  BTW, I'm a pretty solid ENFP with some "I" leanings.  What about you?

This post is part of a Virtual Book Club in which we read and discuss the book S.H.A.P.E.: Finding and Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose in Life, by Eric Rees. In addition to my own study and experience, much of the material and many of the insights originate in this book.  I invite you to join me and my friends over the next few months as we work together to find and fulfill our unique purpose for life.  It proves to be an exciting journey!