Personality

“Jesus knew what they were thinking, so He asked them, ‘Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say “Your sins are forgiven,” or “Stand up and walk”? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.’ Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’ And the man jumped up and went home! Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority.” (Matthew 9:4-8 NLT)

There are so many verses that display Jesus’ strong personality, but this one grabbed my attention because it showed His strong compassion while also revealing His ability to withstand opposition with strong conviction.

A common definition of “personality” is “the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.” Elsewhere I read: “A personality trait describes how a person tends to think, feel, and behave on an ongoing basis. Personality traits are characteristic of enduring behavioral and emotional patterns, rather than isolated occurrences. 

For example, anyone can occasionally have a bad day and make a snappy remark. When this happens in isolation, it doesn’t reflect a personality trait. However, when someone’s typical behavior is to snap at people rather than communicating politely, then ‘irritable’ is likely one of their personality traits.”

While there are hundreds of different personality trait examples that describe a person, psychologists often list five main personality traits, called the Big Five. They include: conscientiousness – the degree to which a person prefers to plan ahead rather than being spontaneous, agreeableness – how strongly a person tends to be kind, sympathetic, and helpful to others, neuroticism – the extent to which someone is inclined to worry or be temperamental, openness – the extent to which a person has an appreciation for a variety of experiences, extroversion – the extent to which a person tends to prefer being sociable, outgoing, and talkative. The combination of these traits can determine whether you are introverted or extroverted, open to new experiences or fearful of the unknown, agreeable or temperamental, and more.

Why does any of this matter? It matters because, as C. S. Lewis noted: “It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” If we try to mask our wrong attitudes and actions, believing “that’s just my personality! It’s just the way I am!” while at the same time seeking to exhibit the character and personality of Jesus, there’s going to be a problem.

Jesus’ personality always revealed the heart of the Father, as must ours. It doesn’t matter if I’m extroverted or introverted, I’m still commanded to walk in obedience to the Lord’s directives. It doesn’t matter if I’m a leader or a follower, we’re still commanded to submit to the Lord’s authority and follow Him. It doesn’t matter if I like someone else’s personality or lifestyle, if the Lord asks me to reach out to them in love, that’s what I’ll do.

Granted, sometimes our personalities clash, even as believers, but our goal is to work together, submitting to one another in His honor and recognizing that we don’t necessarily have to like each other to love each other and to work together to the glory of our Savior.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊