Routine. When you hear that word do you shout for joy? Or do you run for cover?
How do our personalities affect our response to various seasons of life?
I’ve started off this series by talking about the “back to school” aspect of fall. And while in our personal life it doesn’t always happen in the season of fall, we all know times in our faith journey where life feels routine. Ordinary. Predictable.
And we know times when it is wondering around in a corn maze. Times when it is filled with adventure, never knowing what’s around the bend, or which turn to take.
Some of us like the routine better. Some of us like the adventure.
Do you know of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)? It is a personality test that came up in an online conversation just a few days ago. I love personality test! (That right there tells you something about my personality!)
It “measures” aspects of preference in four categories, resulting in 16 possible personality types.
The actual MBTI inventory test is long, but there are several online versions that give you a snapshot. If you haven’t already, you can take one here!
The first dimension relates to where you receive energy. Introverted or Extroverted. (I or E)
Between various jobs and while my husband was in seminary and church planting, I have taken the MBTI about 10 times. Seven times I came out as an Introvert. Three times as an Extrovert. And all times close to the border.
So I’ve comfortably landed on calling myself an Extroverted Introvert.
But hold on- on no other scale am I borderline.
The second dimension is “how you take in information.” Sensing or Intuitive. (S or N)
At a work seminar, a trainer randomly (or so we thought) paired up four people. The first two went out of the room. The other two were given a container to empty and then the charge to describe what they saw.
Immediately, one of them began counting, the other grabbed a piece of paper and pen to record. “Six pencils. Four paperclips. A stapler. A bag of rubber bands. Three black pens. A sharpie.” They nodded to each other and handed in their report.
The next two were brought in. They were given the same container and instructions. They dumped it, looked for a few seconds. The first said “Office supplies” and the second person replies “Yep, things you would find in a desk drawer.” They were done.
We had all taken the personality test beforehand. The trainers paired up two strong Sensing personalities and two strong Intuitive personalities. Because they had the same tendency in processing information, they easily communicated.
In the first example both people were Sensing- taking in information in a detailed way through their senses. The second pair were Intuitives. A very big picture approach, taking in the overall gist of the situation.
Can you imagine if it had been one S and one N paired up?
Well I can imagine! I’m an S. Proud of it! I take in lots of details through my senses- I notice and pay attention to life around me. My husband is an N.
You may not have heard me. My husband is an
N
Oh the stories I could tell of how this difference in communicating impacted our first years of marriage. Ah, for another time.
Third dimension: How you make decisions. Feelings or Thinking. (F or T)
Someone with a Feeling preference will choose taking into account people’s needs and their emotions. Impact on relationship is important as they want to check in with how others are feeling about situations. Someone with Thinking preference will make decisions based more on facts, logic and objective criteria.
Here, I’m an F. An off the chart F.
When I worked as a financial analyst I was surrounded by Ts (In a group of 18 I was the only F). When we took this inventory at work, I’ll never forget a co- worker saying “This explains so much. I never understood why Melanie always starts meetings by asking how my newborn baby slept last night. We have decisions to make, I never thought relationships play a part in that.”
The fourth dimension: How our action is oriented towards our world. Judging or Perceiving. (J or P)
Judging likes thinks planned before moving into action. Routine is a beautiful word. Perceiving is all about spontaneity. They like variety and flexibility.
Yes, it’s true, I’m a J. I like my schedule. I tell my P husband that I can be spontaneous, he just needs to let me know ahead of time. So I now pencil in on Thursdays, his day off, ” plan to be spontaneous“.
If you are keeping track. I’m an ISFJ. Or ESFJ. Depending on the day.
My husband is an INFP. Or ENFP. We share the introvert/extrovert confusion.
OK, thanks for indulging me on all this personality typing, even the parts that had nothing to do with routine, the subject of my post.
In addition to just plain liking this kind of analysis, I do believe it plays a role in our journey of faith for two reasons:
- God knitted us in our mother’s womb. He made us uniquely to be part of the body of Christ. To use our gifting to glorify Him. Knowing ourselves and how he has made us is important.
- God is always at work around us and sometimes he throws us out of our routine (or into one) to accomplish his purpose. Knowing God and hearing his voice is even more important.
It is only in knowing God that I can truly know myself. Apart from Him and our relationships with Him, ISFJ means nothing. It is in the reflection of his eyes and his love that I come to know how the ISFJ parts of me are to be used. And in tuning my ears to hear his voice, I know when he is stretching me to depend on him for something that is not ‘natural’ for me.
To love my family, I use my gifts of routine and organizing to plan out menus for the week and to know our schedule. To love my family, I let go of my preference for planning for an impromptu ice cream trip. Both are part of my calling to love my family well.
To love God, I use my preference for planning to schedule my time so that I have space to read his word and journal with Him. To love God, I let go of my to do list when a woman at swim lessons is holding back tears. I ask questions, listen and pray instead of rushing to what I planned to do next.
“We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
2 Corinthians 4:7
Well, thank you for sticking with me to the end (or for jumping to the end!)
I would love to hear from you. Do you know your personality type? If you usually read my blog, but don’t comment, I’d love it if you did!
Or if you don’t know it, what is your natural reaction to routine? Avoid it or embrace it?
In which place do you currently find your life with God?
This is Day 3 in my series of 31 Days of Noticing Fall.
Linking today with God Bumps and GodIncidences, Living Well Wednesday, and WIP Wednesday
Melanie, I love how you took that personality test and tied it in to your faith and walk with God. I took that test as I started college at age 32. I will take this one again and use it to see how the personality he gave me has affected my faith and walk with Him, where He has brought me to this point and how he is using my personality plus the life circumstances and issues I have encountered to serve Him now and in the future.
Hi Shirley- Thank you! I’d love to hear your comparison and what you find! There are so many factors- personality, gifting, circumstances, etc.
PS Happy 50th Anniversary!!
Interesting post! I am totally a routine person, and I’m not too spontaneous – I think we may be kindred spirits!
Today was my ‘be spontaneous with my husband” day! I’m ready for my routine of Friday now 🙂
I love MBTI and all other personality,giftings, and indexes that reveal a little about how God put us together. I am an INFJ but the J and P are so very close that it’s almost imperceptible. I saw a pin on Pinterest that sums it up, I love routine, until I get bored, Then I love spontaneity until I am overwhelmed, then I love routine. LOL. Basically I like to have plans in order, but I’m also prone to cancel them and feel locked in when I commit to things.
Alia Joy- It was so fun to discuss the other night, amidst the flurry of tweets! What a great description of J and P being close! Maybe I need to see if i can find something similar for E and I.
Love this!! I’m a total ESFJ. I think there’s more T in me now based on my interior design work and the need to be objective, but this will make for some fabulous conversation between us, I think. Now if I could just chanel it to get my act together, 🙂
Amy- Thanks for sharing yours! I do think experiences, jobs, etc play a lot in us functioning certain ways. Look forward to getting to know you more through the (in)couraged flock!
The personality discussion continues! I’ve really got to figure out what I am! Thanks for linking up!
You will have to let me know what it is!
Love this post! I’m a big fan of the whole Myers Briggs things, and you explain it all so well. Particularly liked the S/N differentiation story.
I am an ENFJ – my husband is an INTJ. My family are all off-the-scale P’s – which makes for some interesting interactions!
Tanya- I was thinking of your writing on Introverts and social media!
I just had my “be spontaneous day” with my husband and my in laws who are in town. I think I did pretty good at the go with the flow. And now on to a planned Friday 🙂
Oh my word. We were separated at birth. I just took the test and came out as ISFJ. But could have easily been ESFJ.
Whoo hoo! I like meeting other I/E SFJ!! Maybe that’s why I love your writing and insights so much 🙂
Hi Melanie,
I took this test during a computer class last winter (we used our raw data to create a category counter, score generator). I came out as ENFP. Which likely explains the fast connection I made with Rob and Wits’ End Church.
Thanks for sharing the categories and descriptions again. It’s good to read them through a lense of people I know.
~Connie
Hi Connie- It is great to hear from you! I can definitely see the ENFP in you. I remember some statement that ENFP’s are always a party…and Rob has said when he leans to INFP, he is still a party, but it’s in his head 🙂
Melanie – My first prayer is tha Samuel was in bed WAY before you posted this day’s blog! LOL
Life is a maze … and personality definitions are so easy to come by. At my point in life, I have worked through many personality tests – and your most poignant paragraph (to me) is:
It is only in knowing God that I can truly know myself. Apart from Him and our relationships with Him, ISFJ means nothing. It is in the reflection of his eyes and his love that I come to know how the ISFJ parts of me are to be used. And in tuning my ears to hear his voice, I know when he is stretching me to depend on him for something that is not ‘natural’ for me.
He and His word are the only true test.
BTW – I repeatedly scored high on sensory and spontaneous areas. I can do a great spreadsheet but let me just get to the big point in the picture;)
Diane- Because it was so late? I think with this one I had gone to bed, and had it scheduled to post in the morning…and then woke up in the middle of the night with changes and went ahead and posted it!
I can see both of those in you- the sensory and the spontaneous!
I’m an ISTP or ISFP. I remember taking a class in college where we took personality tests and my results included both Thinker and Feeler. I see that in my leadership style all the time, a blend between Critical Analysis and Instinct.
I can see that- both the T and F in you. I think your brother is the same- he was more T when he was an engineer, but his more natural seems an F.
You are an outstanding leader!!