Knowing Me, Knowing God


Transformation
February 27, 2012

Knowing Me, Knowing God
Exploring Spirituality with Myers-Briggs
by Malcolm Goldsmith


Opening Prayer

Myers-Briggs is a personality survey that shows you your God-given personality, even though it is not essentially a Christian instrument. 
Remember as we go forward that no personality type is better than another, but it's important to understand each other's differences.

Our uniqueness affects everything we do, including prayer. 
Self knowledge is extremely important in the Kingdom of God.  St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis of Assisi, and John Calvin all insisted that you must know yourself to know God, and vice versa.

Although we are made to be unique, we sometimes attempt to model ourselves after someone else.  Jesus doesn't say "Imitate me", but rather, "Love as I have loved you."

We must start where we are, not where we think we should be, to relate to God and others, and to bring out all of who we were created to be.

We all "search for something to assuage the yearning"...that restlessness that only has its fulfillment in Christ.
We all come to Christ in a unique way.  Some people are private, others public.  Some come through well-reasoned faith, others through feelings. 
Who we are is how we pray most effectively.

How many of us who are mothers recognized unique personalities in our unborn children?

There are 4 parts to the matrix of Myers-Briggs, each with contrasting styles.  No one is purely one or the other in these categories, but on a continuum between them. 

1.  Extrovert or Introvert:  how we get energized or revitalized
2.  Sensing or Intuitive:  how we take in information
3.  Thinking or Feeling:  how we process information
4.  Perceiving or Judging:  how we approach life as a fluid or static entity

Every personality has a dominant function, however it is quite a complex combination of traits, and is not intended to stereotype you.  You will decide for yourself what profile fits you the best.

Read pp. 29-31.

This is a mini-version, not a therapeutic version of Myers-Briggs.  If you wish to pursue this in a more thorough manner after we're through, I encourage you to seek out a pyschologist who can adminster and evaluate the test for you.

You must answer every question, even if you are unsure.  Use your first impression most of the time--it has the highest chance of being accurate.  The mix will fill in the blanks.

Next week we will talk about the meanings of the personalities. There is also quite a bit online if you wish to study further before next week, but we will be approaching it from a spiritual standpoint.

Take tests.  Record results.

[If you would like to take this test, please let me know at church and I'll be sure you get a copy next week.]


Closing prayer.

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