An "ENFP" Stepping Out of the Box

Sometimes it's easy to feel like the world has just put us in a box. What I am talking about is beyond the box that stereotypes put us in. At CCV when you want to come on staff, or even become a volunteer you have to take a Myers Briggs Test, and then you also have to take a spiritual gifts test. Now there are a few things I love about these tests and a few things I hate about these tests. Check em' out.

What I like:
The Myers Briggs test especially helps you learn more about the direction you should be heading in. The test puts together all of your strengths and specific personality traits and puts them nicely into 4 letters to give you a little idea of what makes you tick the way that you do. The spiritual gifts test is also a good test to take. This test will really help you indicate your strengths, and help you decipher what aspects of ministry that you should be serving in. I really do love both of these tests, but I want to move on to talking smack about them for a second. And then finish with a Disclaimer!

What I don't like:
There is one problem that I dislike about each of these tests, and those are roadblocks. Once you take a test, and land a certain letter code, or a certain strand of spiritual gifts, it's easy to assume that person is unable to fit in any of those other categories. Let me explain my situation. I happen to be an ENFP. This pegs me as an Extrovert, someone who uses Intuition, a Feeler and a Perceiver. Now you can imagine how someone seeing these tests would say, "Adam can't just relax, and not talk, or be antisocial." Well let me tell you what, it's a lot more difficult if people peg you as someone unable to do so! I happen to work at a Cafe' that has a few customers during a 8 hour shift, and I do juuust fine to the surprise of many! We need to stay away from the assumption that the ability to Sense, Think and Judge are not options for an ENFP. Because my leading Spiritual Gifts are Discernment, Wisdom and leadership does not make me unable to Administrate.

Now let me finish with this disclaimer:

It is very important that you come to the realization that certain people will always be strong and weak in certain areas. It's important to realize God has given each of us very specific spiritual gifts to glorify his kingdom. If we were all the same tool we would not get anywhere. You can find the Bible littered with scriptures of Spiritual Gifts in 1 Cor 12, Romans 12, and 1 Pet 4 etc... They aren't in there so many times for nothing, there is an important role of these gifts.

HOWEVER:

It is very important that at the same time we push our fellow followers to grow in areas that they may be weaker at that we may be stronger at. We can also never assume that because something is not necessarily someones strength that the CAN'T do it. I'm going to be honest, I will never be able to teach like Melissa can, and she may not be able to discern the way I do. But sometimes when you give people the benefit of the doubt, they can truly surprise you. Maybe you need to get out of a box... or just maybe you have to let someone else out of theirs.