Introverted, but not Inept

Have you noticed the introvert awareness craze sweeping social media lately?  If I've read one article on the introvert, I've read a dozen.  Not to mention the plethora of personality quizzes/tests, ad nauseum. Don't get me wrong, I take 'em -- every one of them! As an introvert myself, I confess to a personal fascination with the topic. In fact, I'm fascinated by discussions and analyses of personality in general.  But beneath these benign posts, quizzes, and articles lurks certain dangers.

DANGER #1 = The Victim Mentality.
It's the "I can't help it; that's just the way I am" way of thinking. We allow our personalities to define us, and we accept their limitations as final.  In other words, we begin to believe that "I'm just not good with people because I'm an introvert" or "I just can't speak in public because I'm an introvert." Or, for the extrovert, "I'm just not good at listening because I'm an extrovert" or "I can't be alone because I'm and extrovert."

 If I accepted this lie, I would not be able to do ministry. Period. 

 I would have no friends. Period.  

My relationships would all wither and die.  

If I accepted the lie of the limitations of my personality, I would be a hermit. 

Trust me, the thought's occurred to me.  It would be so much easier emotionally to never answer my phone, never leave my house,and never open my door.  Each encounter with people, even those I love dearly, requires an exertion of emotional energy. 

TRUTH TAKE-AWAY:  "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."  (Phil. 4:16) God calls us and equips us to do what He's called us to do.  I passionately believe that God's Word is true.  I passionately desire to be a part of God's work here on earth.  So I fight the impulse to retreat into myself, and I push myself to open up.  Perfectly and always? No.  Some days I coddle my flesh.  Some days I hole away.  Some days I pass by a person in need with words unspoken.  But His strength is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). I will never be able to love others, reach people, and share Christ without relying heavily on His strength and enabling grace.  So because my introverted tendencies cause me to rely on Him, I praise God. He keeps me humble and dependent on Him through this aspect of my personality.

DANGER #2 = The Pigeonhole Effect
Almost every article that lists traits of an introvert elicits the same mixed reaction from me, ranging from "Yes, that's me spot-on!" to "Eh, not really."  Rarely do I find an article where all 10 (or however many) points are me to a T.  No surprise there, huh?  I am a unique individual.  Tests can give ballpark, even very close results at best, but fail to plummet the depths of who you really are, in all your various layers.
Example:  One article I read recently said that introverts don't feel comfortable leading.  But I am a teacher. I lead all the time.  Leadership is one of my spiritual gifts, in addition to being a vocational necessity as a teacher.  I feel very comfortable leading and taking charge when it comes to Bible study or teaching a subject in which I have some expertise or knowledge.

TRUTH TAKE-AWAY:  Avoid assuming that someone's personality dictates her giftedness or ability.  Get to know people as individuals.  Knowing someone's personality tells you something about her, but not everything.  You may be surprised at the many "exceptions" that exist (kinda makes you wonder if we can even say what the real "rule" is...)!
As an introvert, most of my friends and close relationships tend to be with extroverts.  Why?  Because they pursue me, they don't feel inhibited to take the initiative in our relationship, they always have something to talk about so if I'm quiet sometimes, it's okay.  (And, honestly, it's just easier.  Back to that whole lack of expending extra emotional energy thing.) BUT, if I had always allowed the pigeonhole approach to prevent me from taking the time to befriend other introverts, I would have missed out on many rich friendships that I have in my life now.  It can be harder as an introvert to start a friendship with another introvert, but it's worth the effort.  Once the foundation has been laid,  the deep, "level five" communication that introverts so crave comes naturally without the prerequisite need for Small Talk (shudder, shudder).

Bottomline:  Personality type does not exempt us from the standards of Scripture and the call to Christlikeness.

Jesus, our role model, demonstrates the perfect balance.  

He took time to get away and be alone.  

Though being alone may be difficult for the extrovert, the benefits of occasional times of introspection and spiritual reflection demand that the extrovert disciplines herself in this way. 

Jesus also faithfully ministered to people despite tiredness and emotional fatigue.  

So, for us introverts, personality proclivities must not prevent us from sacrificially reaching out to those around us who need us.  

The extrovert may have no problem reaching out, and the introvert has no problem carving out alone time to get away and reflect. The reverse results in struggle for the respective personalities. 

Personality does not excuse us from doing what's right, from obeying the Spirit's promptings.  

Understanding personality differences can help us work together more effectively, harmonizing our strengths and weaknesses for the glory of God and the building up of His body (Eph. 4:16).

(Oh, and please keep sending me introvert/personality articles and quizzes.  I can't help but feed the fascination.)