How To Be A Christian Without Being A Jerk

Faith in real life

How Do I Become Less Judgmental? The Personality Key Part 2

April 29th, 2009

According to personality type teaching, we are stronger in each of the opposing areas than we are in the other. We may show both and have a hard time figuring out each one, but it is more like handedness. I am left handed, but I can also do things with my right, though not as well. If we look at all 8 attributes, we realize the individual person falls into one of 16 categories. These are usually denoted using the first letter of each. For example, my type is ENTP (So, that’s his problem…)

Here is where the judgmentalism can creep in. If I am a certain personality type and this is how I am wired, then I am tempted to make my type in all the areas the correct one. It may be as simple as a subtle description change. See if you have ever said any of these about someone else.

Extroversion vs. Introversion/ Chatterbox vs. Shy

Sensing Perception vs. Intuitive Perception/ Stick-in-the-mud vs. Risky

Thinking Judgment vs. Feeling Judgment/ Cold vs. Bleeding-hearted

Judging vs. Perceiving/ Anal vs. Flaky

Do you see what can happen? There are no good or bad personality types. They are just different. Yet, when we start labeling people who are different than us in a negative way, we see how this can become judgmental. We might even be judgmental towards people of the same personality type because we see things we don’t like in ourselves.

It is helpful just recognizing that traits you consider negative in someone else may simply be different personality types. There is much more involved in Meyers-Briggs analysis, but if you would like to begin considering your personal type, you can take this inventory online for free.

So it is easy to be critical and judging of people just because they are wired differently than you. It might have nothing to do with character, effectiveness, or, most interesting for people of faith, spiritual maturity.ﾠ

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How Do I Become Less Judgmental? The Personality Key- Part One

April 28th, 2009

There are two keys to being less judgmental. The personality key and the spiritual key. Both impact the way we think about others. Let’s start with personality.

In the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (the leading personality tool based on Carl Jung’s work on psychological types) there are four scales that rate a person’s preferences among sets of mental processes. Here are the four opposite type sets:

Extroversion vs. Introversion

Sensing Perception vs. Intuitive Perception

Thinking Judgment vs. Feeling Judgment

Judging vs. Perceiving

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Here are some quick, broad generalizations of each.

Extroverts are outgoing and energized by being around people.

Introverts are reserved and energized by working alone.

Sensing Perception people are focused on facts and practicality. They are into details and are initially skeptical of the new and unknown.

Intuitive Perception people are focused on the future and “what could be?” They are looking for the big picture. They are energized and embracing of the new and unknown.

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Thinking Judgment people base their decisions on logic and facts, using objective analysis.

Feeling Judgment people base their decisions on how it will affect other people and will it maintain warmth in relationships.

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Judging people are organized and try to maintain control. They do extensive planning and are highly goal oriented.

Perceiving people are spontaneous, open, curious, and highly adaptable.

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What does all of this have to do with being judgmental? Tomorrow…

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evangelism without manipulation…what a concept!

April 25th, 2009

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I have been posting on the “person of peace” principle of evangelism I learned from Mike Breen, similar to my principle of “receptive person.” We learned, just as you did, or will, this principle from Jesus in Luke 10. More from Mike.

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Here is how it works:

Be on the lookout for someone who is ready to receive.
If they aren’t ready, don’t belabor the point. Move on.
No amount of cleverness or coercion can make someone receptive.
It is the Holy Spirit’s job to prepare the heart to receive the Gospel.
Our job is to look for people of peace.
God has already been preparing them because they are receptive at that specific time.

Be present where there are people who may be receptive to connecting to you. Be on the lookout for a person of peace.

not

April 23rd, 2009

The crafty serpent is a manifestation of Satan. A created servant of God, Satan couldn’t stand hearing the word, “No,” from God and this is his fall. Now Satan is trying to take everyone else down with him.

Except, the man and the woman bear God’s imprint upon themselves. They are wired like God. Surely they will not be tempted to go in a different direction…

crafty

April 23rd, 2009

In Genesis 3:1, we are told the snake is more “crafty” than other living animals God makes. Literally, “It became more crafty…” Well, we know other animals are more intelligent. The serpent is not created “crafty,” but becomes that way. I sense something else is going on with this snake…

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how do I find people who actually want to listen to me?

April 22nd, 2009

How do I share my faith with someone who isn’t a Christian? Won’t they get offended? Isn’t that being pushy? Not if you actually do what Jesus teaches. It is totally natural and gracious. The key concept Jesus teaches is to be a bridge for people to know him, called, “person of peace.” What we call “evangelism,” “sharing the faith,” or “outreach,” should not cause us to break out in a cold sweat.

Mike Breen summarizes this teaching of Jesus this way:

A person of peace is someone who is prepared to hear the message of the kingdom and the King.

A person of peace is:

someone who is prepared to hear the message of Jesus.
someone who is ready to receive because God has been preparing him/her.

O.K. now, again, how will I recognize a person of peace?

People of Peace will:

welcome you
listen to you
support you

In other words…Look for people who want to listen to you, like a good friend.

Do you get nervous talking with a friend? Do you have to “walk on eggshells” over every word you say? Of course not, and that is why God brings people of peace into our lives to be introduced to him and his blessing. God brings us a new friend.

ashamed

April 21st, 2009

“ashamed,” in Genesis 2:25, is in ongoing tense. It ought to read,

“…and were not shaming themselves.”

Well, they will, and it has nothing to do with their bodies…

why do I blog “how to be a christian without being a jerk?”

April 20th, 2009

Being the time after Easter, it is helpful to review the basics. The story of Jesus as recorded in the Bible and my response to him, make it appropriate for me to share the reality of Jesus with others in a variety of ways, including the very act of writing this blog.

To identify with Jesus and trust in him as ruler of my life, opens me to receive the Holy Spirit. The Spirit makes it possible for me to expand God’s kingship/ God’s rule in the world. At the core of God’s desires is that all people make this same connection. Life with Jesus is real life as God designs.

I don’t want anything to get in the way of everyone having the same privilege of discovering Jesus. God makes it happen if you just give him a crack of attention. One of the greatest challenges today is simple. Most people don’t know that much about Jesus and what they do know comes from weak sources. They haven’t learned from people who are living a Holy Spirit-empowered lives, and they haven’t heard the story of Jesus in clarity.

There is confusion about the Christian faith because of the depth and riches of life with Jesus. This is a natural by-product of deep thinking. However, there is confusion also because clear thinking is not being offered and/or received. The primary purpose of my DVD series, How To Be A Christian Without Being A Jerk! is to clear away the unnecessary confusion concerning the Christian faith, and to encourage the deep thinking that expands one’s understanding. This blog exists for the same purpose.

Tomorrow I will begin a brief overview of sharing the Gospel.

the great blog experiment- no comment

April 17th, 2009

I am in the “31 days to a better blog challenge” from here. This means I will be experimenting quite a bit.

For example:

the comments function is turned off. Thank you for those who do. It is fun and helpful. However, I am following blog advice from one of the top gurus, Seth Godin, and waiting until there are at least 200+ consistent visits to the site before I turn it back on again. Too many days there are no comments and you can figure out the rest…
along the same line, I will temporarily stop sending out e-mail blogs starting Monday, unless the people on my list absolutely requested it. Let me pause and say welcome to my e mail folks who have chosen to read the blog directly instead.

Talk to you Monday!