The Bible is filled with references of how pleased God is with the way he has made us and that He has made us for a purpose.
In Psalm 139:14, David declares I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.
In Ephesians 2:10 we are told that we’re made by God for a purpose. God made us a certain way so that we can play our part in service to Him.
We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Our personality traits make us unique as individuals and they enhance the way we use our talents do the good work that God has called us to do. It is important to accept ourselves as unique, created by God with personality traits that make us who we are and to be confident about it.
Let no one make you feel or believe that something is radically wrong with your personality if they cannot appreciate some of your personality traits. Some cultures do not value some traits in women – e.g., independence – other cultures value political correctness more than direct communication.
However, our personality traits can be destructive and offend God and people. Here are a few examples.
- Being result-oriented and focused on finishing projects is a good personality trait to have, particularly for doing the work we’ve been called to do. However, a person who is result-oriented can become so focused on results, that they disrespect the opinions and contribution of others, and that’s not good!
- Directness. People with a communication style that is frank and open, are often very truthful and other people always understand what they mean from the get-go. But people who are direct can often become very insensitive to other people’s feelings and may speak the truth, but in a way that’s offensive and inappropriate.
- Enthusiasm is a great personality trait. It is the ‘oomph’ that motivates people and creates enjoyment when we’re working together. However, enthusiastic people may drain the energy of other people, who don’t necessarily share the same enthusiasm, and have the opposite effect of de-motivating others.
- Curiosity. People who are curious ask questions and generally try to find solutions to problems or to make important changes. But curious people can become ‘nosy’, judgmental, and critical when they ask questions and don’t get the answers they’re looking for.
- Independence is also a strong and very desirable personality trait which, when used appropriately, helps us develop our unique talents, makes us self-confident and capable of doing great things. However, we don’t live alone in this world. Independent people need to recognize that they need people and need to work with people. Some independent people are very poor team players.
- Patience is a fruit of the holy spirit. It is not just the ability to wait, but the attitude you have while you’re waiting. Patient people become very good parents and teachers. They take their time to make the right decisions and generally live without regrets for this. It’s an admirable trait, patience. But when used badly, it can result in complacency and inertia. Taking no action and ignoring the urgency of a situation or the immediate need for action.
- Cooperative people are very pleasant to deal with. This is possibly one of the best personality traits that you can have as a Christian. However, being cooperative can lead to conflict avoidance and the denial of facts that need to be addressed.
I have provided these examples as a guide for the important task of self-reflection.
It is important to be aware of how our unique personality traits can become weaknesses, which can diminish the effectiveness of how we live our lives and how we serve God. Finding the ways in which God wants us to use our personality traits appropriately is essential if we are to serve God according to His will.
Christ in you. The hope of glory. That’s why glory matters!
Glory Matters 