In college I spent a lot of time taking personality tests and trying to figure out "who is Mackenzie?" I took the Myers-Briggs, the Enneagram, and the 5 Love Languages tests. I obsessed over knowing my place and my identity. I grew up in a small town, the kind where everyone knows everyone. Then I went to college in a much larger city and felt alone and unseen. Feeling unseen lead to a lot of self discovery. It was a interesting time for me, but good. If you haven't taken any of these tests, I encourage you to do so, but stay away from the obsession. In this phase of life I also spent a lot of time trying to figure out what I believe. I knew what my parents taught me, and what I learned in Sunday school, but I wanted more. I wanted to intimately know the character of God and see myself in His image. As much as the Enneagram (and others) may have caused me to question myself, it also helped me understand Genesis 1:26. If you aren't familiar with the verse, it says, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
The Myers-Briggs test is described as, "...determine the person’s individual personality type. Important insights can be gained by understanding personality type, such as optimal career choice, better romantic partnerships, and paths to personal growth."
If you are new to the world of personality tests, the Enneagram Institute describes the test by stating, "At its core, the Enneagram helps us to see ourselves at a deeper, more objective level and can be of invaluable assistance on our path to self-knowledge.."
The essential difference is that the Enneagram is used to discover oneself whereas the Myers-Briggs is used to understand relationships with others.
I took the Enneagram again recently, to see how my numbers changed, but in the moments I spent reading afterwards about all the types, it became so clear just how all the types reflect GOD. Individually and as the body of Christ, we are all created differently and in such great detail. We manifest the likeness of God, differently but none less than any other. There is no comparison.
Type 1- The Reformer
Type 2- The Helper
Type 3- The Achiever
Type 4- The Individualist
Type 5- The Investigator
Type 6- The Loyalist
Type 7- The Enthusiast
Type 8-The Challenger
Type 9- The Peacemaker
God is all of these things. He is in all of us. He is who we aim to mirror and we all carry traits of the God most High. Remember, we are all made in His image. How can we long for more of an identity than that? As I am typing these "titles" I am thinking of my friends and where they fall and how they are image bearers. How beautiful?!
I hope reading these words finds you where you are and encourages you. I hope you feel like you have community and KNOW your identity is in Christ.
Dearly,
Mackenzie Byrd
Take the Myers-Briggs Personality quiz here.
Take the Enneagram here.
Take the Love Languages quiz here.
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