Personality profiles. Temperament tests. For a while, when I was in college, it seemed these different personality tests were very popular. I knew a lot of people who swore by them, and had everyone categorized into different temperaments. Several classes I took had us take these analyses. Many jobs had in-service training days where we would take the tests to find out what kind of personalities we had.
These different personality tests go by different names. The one most familiar to me is the one with the greek names (sanguine, melancholy, phlegmatic, choleric). In this test, the person usually has one primary temperament and a secondary temperament, possibly even a third.
Several of my friends prefer the more specific and detailed Myers-Briggs test, which lists people as Introvert or Extravert, Sensing or Intuition, Thinking or Feeling, Judging or Perceiving (with these categories, the person is one of each, so four different categories within their personality, and a possibility of sixteen different outcomes).
My personal favorite is the Color Code, popularized by Taylor Hartman (in which one is Blue, Red, Yellow or White). The reason I like that one the best is that it goes by one's core motive, rather than just outward behavior. I feel it digs a little deeper.
Still another one I have encountered (the ministry my husband and I serve with uses it, in fact) is the DISC test. In this one, people are either introvert or extravert, and task-oriented or people-oriented. That puts the person into one of four categories, but in this test, it is believed everyone really has all four in them in different amounts.
Regardless of which test or theory is used, there are some basic similarities. These tests are very interesting. People long to understand what makes them tick, and what makes other people tick, and how to relate to each other. It can lead to greater Christian fellowship. That is a good thing.
I have seen these things used helpfully, and even biblically (I'll get into what that looks like), but I have also seen them abused, used to either excuse sin or label people and limit potential for growth. What does the Bible say about us and our temperaments? Are these different theories healthy and right, or are they wrong? Is there a right way to use them? How about a wrong way? And what about their cousin, Spiritual Gift tests?
In his book, The Spirit-Controlled Temperament (after which this post is named), the late Tim LaHaye theorized that the four temperaments (in his usage, sanguine, melancholy, phlegmatic, choleric) were biblical. He cited Proverbs 30:11-14, which states, There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that think they are pure in their own eyes, yet is not washed of their own filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are swords, and their jaw teeth are knives, to devour the poor from off tbe eartb, and the needy from among men.
LaHaye's book goes on to examine different personalities of Bible characters, and how they fit into the temperaments he was talking about in the book. His ultimate point is that we all need the Holy Spirit's control in our lives to be what we need to be. In our flesh--regardless of our in-born temperament--dwelleth no good thing. (Romans 7:18). LaHaye cites several biblical examples of "Before" and "After" receiving the Holy Spirit (namely Simon Peter, and Saul of Tarsus). He points out that their temperaments didn't change, but they were the best of what they could be, instead of the worst. Peter went from being a Christ-denier who talked to much to being a courageous witness for Christ. Saul (later Paul) went from a fierce murderer of Christians to a fierce evangelist. Both of these men died for their faith in Christ. Their personalities didn't change, but the Holy Spirit used their personalities for eternal purposes.
Whether LaHaye's quotation from Proverbs is a good enough example to say that these temperaments are biblical, we can obviously still see that God made people with unique personalities. We can see that in the people around us. We can see it as we read about the people in the Bible. Temperament is part or reality.
Here are some positive elements to temperament tests and studies:
They help us to understand ourselves. Psalm 139:3 says that God is acquainted with all my ways. There's no reason why we shouldn't also become acquainted with our ways, as God guides us to become more like Jesus. Knowing yourself can help you appreciate how God made you, and anticipate how God wants to use you.
They help us understand other people. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:4, Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. We should be interested in others, so we can grow in love toward them, and figure out how to get along and minister to them.
They can reveal our need of Christ. As we examine ourselves, we see not only our strengths, but our shortcomings, and our need for God's grace in our lives. Paul wrote, For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. He knew he needed Christ. In Second Corinthians 12:9, he wrote that God's strength was made perfect in his life through weaknesses.
They can help us have realistic expectations of ourselves and others. When you know yourself and others, you won't be disappointed with your limitations, because you're already aware of them. Likewise, you won't be offended if someone points out a weakness they observe in you, because you'll have already been honest with yourself about it.
I think a biblical use of these tests is when the motive is to aid godly relationships. I think the above points can be pure reasons for taking these different tests. On other other hand, here are some limitations and potential misuses of these tests. This isn't saying everyone who takes them or is interested in them does these things. They're just things to watch for.
More factors than just temperament go into making someone who they are. Birth order, life experiences, training, talents, and the length of time someone has been a believer also contribute to the personality, and impact their temperament. I have seen people overemphasize temperament, but under-emphasize these and other factors.
An overemphasis on self. The tendency at times is to become self-absorbed. Corrie ten Boom wisely and profoundly said, If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest. Learning about your personality for the right reasons is a good thing, and can draw you to God's mercy. But being obsessed about it can become self-centeredness. We are instead to be Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2).
It can label people and limit potential. When I was at ministry Institute years ago, we had to take the DISC test, which I referred to earlier. One of my very best friends in this ministry (we are good friends to this day) was crying as she took the written version of the test. She was the last one done, and as soon as she finished, she got up and ran out of the room and shut herself in the phonebooth (yes, it was that long ago) and cried. She shared later that she was terrifed the test would come back to say she had the wrong personality and shouldn't be a missionary after all. I hated to see what that did to my friend. Almost a quarter century later, she is still joyfully serving in this ministry. Obviously, she didn't have the "wrong personality," nor does anyone else. Sometimes people can feel pigeonholed into certain roles, which don't take anything beyond their score on a temperament test into account. I know when my friends and I took the DISC test years ago, everyone started calling each other their letters, instead of their names. It got old. Whenever anyone acted out of character with their stereotyped result, people would say, "Wow, maybe you're a C instead of an S" or whatever. It didn't seem to allow people to be more complex than their result on the test.
It can be used to excuse sin. While temperament can explain one's propensity toward certain areas of weakness, they must never be used to excuse it. God calls us to repentance, and His Holy Spirit helps us become what He wants us to be.
If used the right way, these tests/studies/theories can be fun, intersting, and helpful. If used wrongly, they can negate the good they are supposed to do. Seek God's guidance as you examine how He made you. No matter what temperament you have, you need the Holy Spirit to be what you were created to be.
I have run into some odd things as I've taken personality tests. I seem to be a contradictory blend of what some call melancholy and sanguine (moody, intense, overthinking, and internal yet also friendly, outgoing, and expressive), and its anyone's guess which one will override the other on a given day. I think they actually balance each other out a lot. On the color code (my favorite one, as I said), I'm a solid Blue (meaning my motive is intimacy). I have spent my Christian lifetime working with the Holy Spirit on not indulging my moods, but instead choosing His joy, letting Him meet my emotional needs. I have a capacity to love people and cherish my friends, but I've had to let the Holy Spirit work on perfecting that love, because in the flesh, I am codependent. And others have said they see different temperaments in me than I see in me, which can be confusing. I'll elaborate.
People can bring out the strangest things in us. I find that I am not a controlling person (I honestly don't have any desire or inclination to control anyone at all), but I also won't be controlled. I'm very independent and autonomous. I think for myself and am not easily influenced. To most people, this isn't a big deal or even a big part of my personaltiy, but to people who are inclined to be controlling, this is a threat, and they project onto me and say that I'm controlling. I've been called a "force to be reckoned with" by some of my high-control acquaintances, and told I have this overwhelmingy strong personality. I've also been called low-key, humble, gracious, and someone who takes corrections well by people who weren't particularly high-control. These descriptions (a force to be reckoned with vs. humble, etc.) don't sound like they would describe the same person. It goes to show how multi-faceted we all are, and how people see us differently. Also, I find (and you probably do too) that different parts of your personality come out more with different friends. With my good friend Chrissy, I am deep and insightful. Our conversations are on the deeper things of life, and I love that. With my friend Jill, I see the humor in everything, and we take joy in having God-honoring fun together. I would say both of these are part of who I am. These different friendships bring out traits that are already there. If they weren't part of me, I wouldn't be drawn to these friends, nor they to me. Sometimes, we just connect with people, and I think that is biblical (IE: David and Jonathan in First Samuel 18:1).
Before I close, I want to say something about Spiritual Gift Tests, a close cousin of Temperament Tests. I am 100% against the ones that basically try to diagnose your spiritual gift just based on temperament. Not all people of a certain personality have the same gift or calling. Even spiritual gift tests that aren't like that make me a little wary. I think we discover our spiritual gifts as we step out and follow the Holy Spirit. God can equip us for different things. My cousin Rachel has the gift of service. She just has this supernatural ability to see needs in ministry and do them without anyone asking her. She shows up early for Bible studies and sets up chairs and gets coffee ready. I have tried to cultivate that in myself, but it isn't my gift. I can see how God has used her. But that also doesn't mean God can't equip her to do something else. We can serve however God leads, and there might be a season of life when you serve in one way, and then another season God has something else in store. If a spiritual gift test simply enables someone to think through the ways God seems to use them a lot, it is good. If it pigeonholes them, that's bad.
Do whatever you need to run the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1). If a temperament test helps you to know yourself and work on areas of your life with God's help, more power to them! In the hands of the Holy Spirit, they can be very useful. Keep your focus on Jesus above all else, and the rest falls into place.
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