Touchy/Feely, blah, blah, blah

Touchy/feely, and the body of Christ- do those have anything to do with each other?

Going along with other posts I've written on the body of Christ loving each other, I was thinking about a lot of those personality tests that are out there. A couple of months ago when I was in Denver, I was speaking with a lady who was telling me about one on those tests and how everyone in her big Fortune 500 company had to take one. It was a test where the outcome was color coded and each employee had his/her color put on his employee badge. That way, when they were in a mtg. and things were getting heated, they had an instant reminder of why that other person was reacting the way he was. "Oh, he's analytical, therefore he needs a bit more time to think this through, etc." The woman I was talking with asked if my mission agency does the big tests for all of us. Um, no, not really. I know that other agencies do, but ours doesn't.

And I started to think about how knowing the personality makeup of your teammates could be so incredibly beneficial in mission situations. You've already taken a group of people out of their comfort zone. They're in a different country, with a different language, with different customs and rules, without their family and friends, without their home church body, etc. They're forced to adapt not only to the culture that surrounds them, but to the team that they've joined. Whereas back in their home country those people might never have been the people they would choose for friendships, companionship, accountability, etc., they're forced into these relationships out of necessity. They work with them, plan with them, play with them(if they're lucky), travel with them, worship with them- there's really no way to get away when personality conflicts arise, which they inevitably do.

But if we knew more about the people with whom we serve, and understood more of what makes them who they are, how much more prepared might we be to let things slide, to forgive quicker, to not jump to conclusions, or even to go to the other person quicker when an issue does come up?

I'll give myself as an example, using two basic tests to show you a lot of things that might be important to know about me:

5 Love Languages:
 My top two are Quality Time, and Words of Affirmation. I only put these two on here, b/c these are the two most important to know about. The highest you can score on any of these is a 12, which is what I scored on Quality Time. Therefore, it might be good for you to know that when you're talking to me and you're not paying attention, or you answer the phone, or cut me off, I feel extremely uncared for, The other one that's important is Words of Affirmation. I don't need to constantly be told what a great job I'm doing, but I do need feedback.

Myers Briggs: I am an ISFJ(Introvert, Sensing,Feeling, Judging) The Protector/Nurturer
Important things to know about me: 1)I am hard working. I have a hard time telling people no and feel very guilty when I do so, resulting in my over-committing myself. 2)I get refueled by having alone time.  This is extremely important in keeping myself going. 3)I am extremely loyal to family and friends and will do most anything to try to protect them, even if it's protecting them from themselves. 4)I always want to believe the best in other people, and as a result, often feel emotionally wrung out when they don't behave in a way that seems right or loving, 5)I am non-confrontational(outside of my family and those I know deeply, which ties back to #3)

So, you can see how these things might be important for missionaries to know about each other. When you're already living in stressful environs, to have extra information on each other that would aid you in better caring for each other could be invaluable. It could make the difference between a team staying together and splitting up; it could give the agency better insight into whether they should send a candidate into a certain field, or not; it could help a leader understand why a co-worker is responding the way he is and vice-versa. Ultimately, I think that the biggest thing it would do is help each one of us learn to love each other for the person that Christ has created us to be; not to excuse the sin in our lives, but rather, to aid us in understanding the complexity that is found in each one of us. And to take that complexity and choose to love that person and help him feel loved in the ways that speak to his soul.

So, people, I'm an ISFJ, who loves long hours of solitude, quality time with people I care for and I have a penchant for not being able to say no. What about you? What things would you love for others to know about you? What knowledge would help those around you care for you in a way that would speak to your innermost being and make you feel loved in a deeply personal way?