How Did They Know That!?!

I really love taking personality tests. I think it is fascinating that someone that has never met me has designed a test that makes assumptions about me based on how I answer questions. I am not talking about tests that are found in girly magazines. (Why is it that only magazines directed toward women have these little quizzes?) With titles such as, “Is he Cheating?”, “Do you Secretly Hate your Best Friend?”, or “What does your Purse Say about You?”, I don’t place much faith in a 10 question filler quiz.

I am talking about tests such as Myers Briggs Type Indicator (“MBTI”) or the Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential (“MAPP”). MBTI is essentially a test designed to assign a person to a specific type in order to more fully explain how a person might react to different situation and to assert what that person may prefer. The MAPP attempts to explore what motivates a person to perform.

In the MBTI, I am known as an ENTP: Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Perceiving. Here is what this says about me: “ENTP’s are innovative, strategic, versatile, analytical, and entrepreneurial. They enjoy working with others in start-up activities that require ingenuity and unusual resourcefulness.” ENTP contributions: “view limitations as challenges to be overcome, provide new ways to do things, bring a conceptual framework to problems, take initiative and spur others on, and enjoy complex challenges that address future needs.” That is a short snapshot of the write up about some of the facets of who I am.

There are also some “pitfalls” for my personality type. Those of you who know me well can vouch for these I am sure. ENTP’s: “may become lost in the model, forgetting about current realities and details, may be competitive and unappreciative of the input of others, may overextend themselves and reach burnout, or may resist standard procedures and processes.” OUCH!

Now, I let you all in on that little secret because when I read the pages on my personality type my mouth dropped open. It was like someone reached into my brain and pulled all the stuff out and wrote it down. It was like reading a news article about yourself!

I have to admit I wanted to resist the pitfalls. I wanted to say, “They were way off base on those!” In reality however I feel like the pitfalls were more accurate than the “good stuff”. It was like getting slapped in the face. I am sure I have more pitfalls than just those, but it was enough. I could really see myself in each of them.

Sometimes when the mirror of who you are is held to your face it really shocks you. I wanted to look away but for some reason I chose to keep looking. I took a LONG look and didn’t like what I saw. The one that stung the most was to realize that I have a tendency to be unappreciative of other’s input. Man, that is me left, right, and twice on Sunday.

Its not that I am not appreciative, because in my head and in my heart I really do appreciate other people’s input. I just for whatever reason have a hard time communicating that to those that reach out.

It kind of got me thinking the other day. How many friendships have I lost or potential friendships? How many of the girls I have dated have I pushed away for not appreciating the things that they have done for me? How many times have my parents wrung their hands or wondered if I was even thankful for what they have done for me? What a sobering revelation!

And then the other shoe dropped. I thought about my relationship with Christ. The one person that has done more for me than anyone and I can’t even be appreciative to Him! That was a crushing blow to me. I have been a Christian for almost 20 years now and I am not as appreciative as I should be toward Christ.

Its not that I am not thankful, in fact I have even prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for what he did for me. However, it isn’t a regular part of my prayer life. I usually pray for what I want and don’t even bother a thanks for the other things He has given when I have asked. I was beginning to think I was a horrible person and even less of a Christian.

Then I remembered my favourite part of Christ: He meets us where we are. It has been chronicled in many songs and sermons. The Bible is full of stories about broken people who have treated people with contempt, who have cheated people out of money, who have committed adultery and still Jesus meets them where they are. He meets Billy Graham where he is just the same as he meets an atheist where he/she may be. I realized through this MBTI that Jesus was doing this for me. I am not sure that my company paid for the MBTI so that I might grow in my relationship with Christ, but I am sure glad they did.

So, what are the pitfalls in your life? What in your life prevents you from meeting people wherever they are? I want to challenge you to make a conscious effort to ask your friends and family these questions. The next blog will extend this discussion so hang on to your answers until next time.