During this summer, we held a workshop entitled “Perspectives on Personalities” for high school teenagers, so that through a personality classification tool they can better understand themselves and others. In our paths of life, we try different methods to help ourselves find our identities, roles, character, and the meaning of existence, etc.
This kind of readily available tools has indeed some reference value in helping us understand our life journeys, but they can never 100% show or describe what kind of person “I” am. Therefore, in the workshop we repeatedly emphasized that the classification by these tools was for reference only and should not be used to “label” yourselves or others. Moreover, God’s creation is so wonderful and awesome that every human being is a masterpiece carefully crafted by Him. We cannot simply classify all human beings into just nine or 16 types. Even two “introverts” will be very different because of God’s will in their lives, upbringing, values, learning, and encounters. We also emphasized that there is no right or wrong in personalities — only healthy or not. However, there is a difference between good and bad, right and wrong in the behaviors being displayed. We must pursue and live out what is good in the eyes of God.
“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16) Only God—our Creator— can truly define who we are. He already knew us before we were formed in our mother’s womb. Therefore, “knowing yourself” and “knowing God” are closely related. John Calvin once said: “Only those who truly know themselves can truly know God, and only those who truly know God can truly know themselves.” What he means is: “Only in the presence of God can a person truly know himself.” And when people are willing to be humble before the Lord and see their true selves from God’s perspective, they will realize that we are actually very small and have shortcomings, limitations and sinful nature, and then realize the richness, infinity and holiness of God. Therefore, “only those who truly know themselves can truly know God.” I hope that on our paths of life, we would earnestly get to know God and His gifts and intentions for us.
Rev. Florence Wong