I have been an introvert my entire life.
The Pandemic has been everything introverts have dreamed of. They can attend church and not have to shake anyone’s hand, keep their distance from the nearest hugger, or better yet, never have to leave their house. But, even the truest introverted homebody has to admit that their spiritual life has suffered during the pandemic. Even they feel disconnected, stagnant, and poorly motivated when it comes to their spiritual life.
Introverts are starting to realize that who God made them is not a free pass to neglect all of their weaknesses. The goal of your Christian life is not to double down on your personality but to find wholeness within it. As we, as a culture, become more and more individualistic and put our identity (introvert, extrovert, etc.) above everything else and use our personality to keep us from growing and developing as a person we are missing out on all of the growth points that God is wanting to provide for us.
Being a healthy Christian means that I use my personality to serve others and minister to others. My quiet, reflective nature should give me an ability to recognize needs that are around me better than others and it should help me to be more empathetic to others.
My personality is a gift from God for the good of his kingdom but to thrive in that kingdom I need to become the kind of person who is comfortable operating in foreign territory, even the land of extroverts.
Paul’s situation was much more severe than feeling out of place at a potluck lunch but the lesson is still there when he says, “for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Paul was a man who’s great power came from Christ not himself (or his personality). He resigned himself to Christ’s work in his life and his outer circumstance, pleasant or good, were of little concern.
God has given you a personality and he wants you to be the best introvert or extrovert you can be but not at the expense of being the best follower of Christ you can be. With God’s help, you can grow to appreciate and thrive outside of your comfort zone knowing that God has called you to an expansive, fuller, and abundant life. Don’t waste this opportunity.
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