It takes all kinds

Have you ever been board at a meeting? Was it not going fast enough for you? Was is more talk and less action?

I have. For all those reasons and more.

Over the years, I’ve realized that there are planners, do-ers, and people in the middle. And all are needed. God and Jesus doesn’t only employ Type-A personalities; they found the planners and do-ers right for the task. The apostle Paul appears goal-oriented, strong, and direct, as well as, augmentative and liked things his way. Peter appears more of a people person, as well as, permissive and maybe long talker. Abraham appears calm and affirming, as well as, indecisive and unemotional. Moses appears respectful and orderly, as well as, perfectionist of himself and imposing that standard on others.

Each is different. And yet each brings something to the table that Jesus and God wanted to use that at point. Paul was able to challenge the status-quo. Peter worked towards harmony which sometimes can take a while and a lot of talking.

Maybe you just need to know what to do (output of the meeting). Then going to meetings is not for you. Maybe you like the conceptual, planning stuff. Then meetings could be right for you. While at the meeting, remember that God has put many kinds of people together. Some are fast thinkers while others need time to think about it.

In our church, work, or other dealings, Jesus is bringing different people together. Different perspectives together. We each have some Paul, Peter, Abraham, and Moses in us. Some are more dominant than others. This mix might change depending on the situation. You could be more passive like Peter about where to have dinner or more assertive like Paul about your child’s medical illness.

Gary Smalley is known for his family counseling practice. His counseling recognizes that you need to understand each person in the family. He has created a Meyer-Briggs type personality test. Let’s call it the Smalley personality test. At its core, the Smalley personality test says there are 4 personality types and each person demonstrates a piece of each. People have expanded on this work to associate each personality type with an animal but also to a related biblical figure. Here’s a simple test and interpretation. Take a few minutes and learn a little more about yourself.