Lately, these past two weeks, I have been taking up personality tests of all sorts. Most of them were due to various church activities such as our small group meeting, in a seminar in baste, or during the fellowship session in UECP. Other than that, I also took a personality test in Facebook.
After taking up these tests, I learned that I am more of a dominant, steady and conscientious type of person rather than an interactive type.
I also developed a better understanding about my personality as well as other people's personality. I learned to appreciate other people more who possess a different personality from me. It also made me realize that all of us were created and designed by God to be different from each other. We were specifically fashioned into unique beings. Imagine marrying someone who is exactly like you. It would be like marrying yourself. For me, it is quite a scary thought. In fact, two people, who have opposite personalities can actually complement each other in their weaknesses and strengths whether it be in marriage, in friendship, or in a group. Try making up a team wherein everyone has a dominant type of personality. They would never reach a decision because everybody would want to lead. We all have different personalities so that all of us can perform our specific roles as body parts in the body of Christ.
1Co 12:12-27
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
We are part of the body of Christ. All of us are parts that are equally important. I remember a short narration told to us in church about sticks.
During one church activity, people were all given a stick. Each of them were told to decorate their sticks. After decorating their sticks they were told to break them. Puzzled these people wondered why they should break their sticks after putting so much effort in them. They were simply told that those sticks represent each of us. No matter how much effort you exert in your life on your own, no matter how beautiful or strong you may look on the outside, but as long as you are alone in your journey in life, you can easily be broken. You can put a scotch tape on the stick to repair it but it can still be broken over and over again. However, if you put all these sticks together as one big bundle, they cannot be broken. However, if you try to take out one stick at a time from that bundle, the bundle itself becomes weaker and eventually it can be broken. That is why all of us are equally important.
That is the CHURCH, the BODY OF CHRIST. The people is the CHURCH. Alone we cannot do much... Alone, we cannot even survive for long in this crazy world... Alone, our faith would eventually dry up. We NEED people, we NEED other fellow believers who would pull us through.. who would support us, encourage us, fuel the fire of faith and help us grow in our faith in Christ. Strong and fruitful believers stay in the BODY of CHRIST.
Joh 15:1, 4-6
I am the true vine (Jesus), and my Father is the gardener... Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
There was a season in my life wherein I did attend church but I was not really a part of it. I used to even invite friends to go to church but eventually I became distant to that church and did not stay there for long. The people I used to invite stayed in the church. Eventually, they become strong believers who became fruitful in their ministries and in their faith. However, I who left the body, did not grow that much. As a result, I developed a wayward heart, and my growth was stunted. Later on, God convicted me and called me back to CHURCH, to my spiritual family. Once again, He strengthened my faith and made me fruitful. "For apart from Him, I will not bear much fruit". Indeed without God, I am nothing... And whatever solo efforts I will try to put forth on my own will only stress me out, and they will not be fruitful...
Belonging to a Church requires us to interact with people of different personalities. Sometimes we may not even understand each other because of our differences. BUT GUESS WHAT?!? Jesus is a balance of all these personalities. That is why HE can understand and relate to each and everyone of us. :)
0 comments:
Post a Comment