Black and White

What is your personality according to Meyer-Briggs?

This is the topic of conversation frequently among my group of friends. It is interesting to see how everyone "stacks up" but I have learned to hold the test results in an open hand. One will not stay their personality type forever or across all environments, in my experience. I took the test a few months ago and was 100% introvert. But, as I have begun to face my insecurities, self-judgement, pride, and frankly, my sin, I see how I have used the label of "introvert" to cover my sin. I am more extroverted and outgoing than I once was. When I am less worried about what people think and more confident in my standing in Christ, I actually love being around people and am energized by them, not exhausted by them. I think I am more in the middle than far to the introvert side of the spectrum.

But there is one aspect of my personality that I think has hindered my understanding of people, God and the gospel. It's the black-and-white aspect of my personality. I think the Meyers-Briggs test would classify that as Judging vs Perceiving. It's Black-and-White vs Gray. I tend to be very black-and-white, but I think that can work against grace in my mind. Since I see things as black-and-white, if someone does something bad, or if I do something bad, I classify that person or myself as "all bad." There is no gray area for my mind to classify things in. When in reality, we are all bad and Jesus is all good. And because of Jesus we are all (regardless of ability or behavior) classified as good. But we are bad and we do bad things. But we also do good things. So we are both bad and good. We are gray. The reconciling of this black, white, and gray, wars in my mind. Maybe the black/white aspect of my personality isn't how it's really supposed to be? What if I'm not understanding grace and excusing it because "it's not my personality"?

These are some things I am thinking about. I have held up the Meyers-Briggs personality type test as gospel, when really it's just a tool. The Gospel is gospel.

And Jesus is ALL the personality types.