Discovering Your Identity & Calling: Part 4
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
by Collin Mayjack
Before you meet, take the Meyers-Briggs: Have everyone in your Community take the Myers-Briggs Personality Test.
Begin with prayer (5 minutes)
Gather together as a Community in a comfortable setting (around a table, on the couch, the floor of a living room, etc.). Have somebody lead a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your time together.
Debrief the teaching in triads (10 minutes)
If you are in a Community of seven or more, divide into small groups of 3–4 people each (ideally same gender) and talk through the following debrief questions about the teaching:
- Did you listen to the teaching? What did you think?
- What was most challenging?
- What was most encouraging?
Transition back to one large group (5 minutes)
Ask a few questions about the last week’s Practice:
- What did you think of the Enneagram go? Did Jesus reveal anything to you through it?
- In light of your discoveries, what is one area of growth that you sense Jesus is inviting you into right now?
Read this overview
When God created the world, he called it good (Genesis 1) – the ground and skies, the mountains and oceans, plants and animals, man and woman – all of it was created good. God created man and woman as the crown jewel of his creation; humanity was created “in the image of God.” As his image bearers, humanity is meant to rule over creation, to work in God’s world, and to use the raw potential God has given them to draw out the potential of his world. Rather than presenting work as a necessary evil, the Scriptures teach us that work is central to what it means to be human. In short, we were made for work.
As image bearers, every man and woman has unique skills, talents, loves, ways of thinking, and ways of being that are all a part of God’s specific design. These unique attributes, or creation gifts, are meant to reflect pieces of God’s character and nature into the world. As disciples of Jesus, part of our task is to celebrate the unique gifts with which God has created us and to leverage our unique potential in working for the good of human flourishing.
One helpful tool in understanding the gifts and skills that God has given us is the Myers-Briggs. By understanding our own personalities and preferences, we are able to unearth and more fully lean into our identity and calling.
Open to the Bible together (10 minutes)
Have somebody read Psalm 139v1-17, 23-24
Talk about the following questions:
- Notice that the Psalmist declares, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” How easy is it for you to say the same thing about yourself? Do you tend to feel gratitude or frustration with the way God has made you?
- What does this passage have to say to our calling and vocation? (Hint: Think about verse 16.)
- Do you live with confidence that God has a plan for your life? Why or why not?
Do this Practice as a Community right now: (10-30 minutes)
Break up into triads (3-4 people) and designate a leader within that group. Put away your phones or any other distractions, and get comfortable.
Here’s the Practice for the coming week:
For this week’s Practice, we will use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as a starting point to talk about the unique way that God has made us (personality) and how that can be channeled into our vocation (the work we do for human flourishing).
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality paradigm that works in four areas of human personality preference: Extraversion (E) and Introversion (I), Sensing (S) and Intuition (N), Thinking (T) and Feeling (F), Judgment (J) and Perception (P).
Though it is not perfect or exhaustive, Myers-Briggs can provide helpful language for identifying personal strengths and preferences.
Exercise 1: Myers-Briggs & Vocation Discussion
Go around and have each person read their Myers-Briggs Type description that corresponds with their personality type. (All descriptors from myersbriggs.org)
After each person has read their type description, work through these questions:
1) Were there any words or phrases from your description that you particularly resonated with? Were there any that you did not resonate with?
2) How do you see these preferences at work in your current job and responsibilities?
3) How could you begin to leverage these skills and preferences in your current job? In the life of the church? In an un-paid vocation?
4) As you begin to think about the ways that God has made you, what are some careers that you think you could be good at? Why?
Read over this coming week’s Practice before you call it a night: (10 min)
Note: Just read and talk through this individual exercise before you call it a night. Basically, the idea is to do the exact same thing each day this week, but by yourself.
Figuring out what we are called to do is tough. And though God seldom opens up the skies with a thunderous voice to tell us what we’re called to do, he is the God who speaks.
The goal for this coming week’s Practice is to dream about your vocation and calling with God and with others – to allow your imagination, your vision of your future, and your picture of what you’re called to do to be broadened by God. In prayer, allow God to give you a glimpse who He has called you to be and what he has called you to do. And then, allow others in your life to speak to your vocation and calling.
Exercise 1: Listening Prayer
Set aside a few times during the week to pray and ask Jesus about your vocation and calling. When you’re in a quiet place and have turned off or put away all distractions, take a deep breath and invite the Spirit to speak to you. If it helps, imagine you are in the presence of God. Spend some time asking the Father of the following questions:
- What do I love and what passions have you given me?
- What have you made me good at?
- What does the world need that you have made me to help contribute?
- What would it look like for me to lean into my identity and calling?
- Note: He make speak through words, images, or video-like scenes.
- How are you asking me to step out in this season?
After your time of prayer, take a minute to write down what you saw or heard. Do this 2-4 times throughout the week.
Exercise 2: Sharing it with Someone Else
Identity and calling are best discovered in community. After processing your identity and calling with God, grab coffee with one or two people in your Community (or a mentor of friend you respect) and share what you’ve heard from Jesus. Then, ask them the following questions:
- What vocation(s) can you picture me being good at?
- What next steps do you think I can take to pursue that calling?
Close by spending some time praying for one another. Ask God to continue to affirm your calling and for faith to step out in obedience to what He has spoken.
Work through these discussion questions (10-15 minutes)
- Any thoughts, creative ideas, or feedback on this coming week’s Practice?
- For anyone who feels like they’re in their right vocation, what are some ways that you can grow and develop further in it?
- For anyone who feels like they’re not quite yet in the vocation that God has for them, what are some ways that you can be practically applying some of the things you’ve learned tonight towards your current situation?
Close in prayer (10 minutes)
