Personality and Knowing Yourself

Back when I was trying to get to know myself better, I took a whole bunch of personality tests to try to pinpoint my "true" personality.

That's when I found the Myers Briggs test.

Out of all of the personality tests I took, this one stuck with me. The Myers Briggs test uses four letters to describe each personality- and knowing those letters really helped me to get to know myself, and to understand myself better.

I'll give you an example.

I'm an ESFJ.

E- I tend to be more extroverted than introverted. I get energy from being around people- which explains why I'm all pumped up after a presentation or meeting. It also means that I like to have lots of activities going on, and that can cause problems when I jump from project to project. I do that a lot.

S- I take in information best when I can experience it, and I sometimes have trouble seeing the big picture. I'm not great with abstract ideas.

F- I make decisions more by emotion than by logic. That means I'm good at people-pleasing and very tactful, but I can be too compassionate and sensitive sometimes. 

J- When it comes to structure in my life, I like things to be decided and structured. I'm pretty task-oriented, I like lists, and I meet deadlines well. I see the world in black and white, and I have trouble seeing gray areas. 

I had a roommate who was an ENFP. She also got energy from being with people, so that was a good match. She really enjoyed debate- probably because she was more perceiving than judging in the way she approached the world. She was curious about a lot of things, and saw gray area in everything.

We'd have long discussions about different aspects of social issues, and I really disliked those discussions. I just wanted a black and white answer without hurting anyone's feelings, and she wanted to explore every option. We didn't get along during debates because I'm a J and she's a P.

Of course, I didn't know about Myers Briggs at the time, and so I thought I was just terrible at debates and way too sensitive, when instead, it was more about personality types. She was outspoken and always loved a challenge- I was more interested in keeping harmony.



I would recommend that you go check it out- I've found this to be a very helpful tool in learning more about myself and how I relate to those around me.

Identity In Christ

One of the hardest things to grasp in the Christian life, in my opinion, is an identity firmly rooted in Christ.

Most of the time, we identify ourselves by what we do, what we've accomplished, what we have, and yes, even our relationship status.

Now, don't get me wrong here- none of those things are bad. Those things describe us, but they are not who we are. I may be a baseball player (ha, yeah, right)... but what happens when the season is over, or if I get hurt and can't play? Do I lose my identity? I would hope not.



One of the biggest things I had to learn during my time of singleness was who I am. From where my identity stems. (To be honest, it's a lesson we constantly learn, even after we're no longer single. I'm still working on it, myself.)

See, I know that my inner being should be who I am in Christ.

That seems so vague, though. Identifying myself as a wife is easy- I have a husband. I can identify as a teacher- I worked hard to earn a teaching license, and have experience in the classroom.

The trouble is, our identity in Christ isn't something that we achieve. It's something that we've received. And I think part of the issue with identifying ourselves as in Christ is that I didn't do anything to become in Christ. 

And as we've established, I have trouble accepting that impossible grace.


I think that firstly, it's essential for us to learn this concept- no matter what I do, what I accomplish, who I'm dating, my relationships or titles, first and foremost, I'm IN CHRIST.

What does the Bible say about who we are?

1. I am chosen. (Ephesians 1:11)

2. My reason for being is to bring praise to God. (Ephesians 1:12)

3. I am free from the bondage of sin. (Romans 6)

4. I have a new family of believers- I'm no longer defined by the choices of my parents or siblings.

5. I am loved fiercely by a God who knows more than I know. I can trust that He knows what's best for me. 

6. I am a gift to God to serve His purposes. (Ephesians 4)

7. I can do anything because God is with me always. (Phil 4:13)

and there are so, so many more.


Here's the thing- you don't have to become any of those things. You already are those things.

Life changes so quickly, and the way we describe ourselves changes right with it. Jobs, our interests, where we live, the way we look, our relationships... all those things are very likely to shift and morph throughout the course of our lives.

But identity in Christ? That will stay firm. Even in the storms of life, if we know who we are in Him, we'll have a solid foundation.