Personality (Part 4)

Last weekend, my friend (and I use the term loosely now - kidding), April and I were talking about different personality types. She had read my previous blogs on personality types, and did a little more research. She was giving me more insight into my personality (INFJ). She decided to begin with my negative personality traits, because, as she informed me, there were so many of them. In fact, there are many more negative traits for my type than hers, and there are more negative traits than positive ones - according to her research. Not to worry, though, April tells me that I have a lot of potential if I can just overcome these flaws. I'm so thankful that she worked so hard researching this so I can give you the following excerpt:

Potential Problem Areas

With any gift of strength, there is an associated weakness. Without "bad", there would be no "good". Without "difficult", there would be no "easy". We value our strengths, but we often curse and ignore our weaknesses. To grow as a person and get what we want out of life, we must not only capitalize upon our strengths, but also face our weaknesses and deal with them. That means taking a hard look at our personality type's potential problem areas.

INFJs are rare and intelligent people with many special gifts. This should be kept in mind as you read some of the more negative material about INFJ weaknesses. Remember that these weaknesses are natural. We offer this information to enact positive change, rather than as blatant criticism. We want you to grow into your full potential, and be the happiest and most successful person that you can become.

Most of the weaker characteristics that are found in INFJs are due to their dominant function (Introverted iNtuition) overtaking their personality to the point that the other forces in their personality exist merely to serve the purposes of Introverted iNtuition. In such cases, an INFJ may show some or all of the following weaknesses in varying degrees:

• May be unaware (and sometimes uncaring) of how they come across to others
• May quickly dismiss input from others without really considering it
• May apply their judgment more often towards others, rather than towards themselves
• With their ability to see an issue from many sides, they may always find others at fault for any problems in their lives
• May have unrealistic and/or unreasonable expectations of others
• May be intolerant of weaknesses in others
• May believe that they're always right
• May be obsessive and passionate about details that may be unimportant to the big picture
• May be cuttingly derisive and sarcastic towards others
• May have an intense and quick temper
• May be tense, wound up, have high blood pressure and find it difficult to relax
• May hold grudges, and have difficulty forgiving people
• May be wishy-washy and unsure how to act in situations that require quick decision making
• May have difficulty communicating their thoughts and feelings to others
• May see so many tangents everywhere that they can't stay focused on the bottom line or the big picture

(Taken from http://www.personalitypage.com/INFJ_per.html)

In all seriousness, though, it's crucial to recognize the negative aspects of our personalities just as we recognize the positive ones. It helps us to see how other people might perceive us and how we could offend or hurt people without knowing it. Looking at how certain spiritual gifts could be abused helped me recognize gifts I didn't know I had.

As I look at this list, I realize that many of them are things I struggle with. God has done a tremendous work in me and has redeemed me graciously. The process of sanctification is not done, though, so I still fail in many of the ways listed above. But April is right, I can overcome these flaws...but not in my own power. It is only when I surrender everything - gifts, flaws, abilities, failures - to the Lord that He will work through me and in me.

"So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them"

- Genesis 1.27

We were made in the image of God - perfection. When sin entered the world, that perfection was destroyed. But through the blood of Christ and His resurrection, God brings restoration. Only through Him do our flaws bring glory to Him.

"'My grace is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness...For when I am weak, then I am strong."

- 2 Corinthians 12.9-10