Personality tests

[Stan]

Most have heard of these.. they generally tell you what you are comfortable doing with the talents you have..

HOWEVER most great things are done, when you MOVE OUT of your comfort zone.

Those "tests" help you to be come mediocre Christian at best.

[Woody]

Hey. Good point Stan. I hadn't thought of it that way before.

[carolaa]

Don't you think God gives us talents for a reason? Does everything we do have to be "great"?

[Neil D]

Ok, instead of "great", how about "extra-ordinary"?

We become extraordinary when we do our thinking outside of the box.......

[Outta Here]

Interesting. Our pastor's sermon this morning was on spiritual gifts. If we'd each do the things God intends for us, then even mediocrity would be enough. In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with staying within one's comfort zone--if that comfort zone is the zone in which God created one to thrive in. The key, I think, is finding what God intends for each of us; having the faith that He will see us through it; and then, ultimately, doing it.

Who can not be comfortable knowing that God is his greatest supporter?

[carolaa]

Actually, not everything great is accomplished outside of our gifts/talents/personality. It may be the circumstances, instead, that are outside our comfort zone.

For instance, Joseph rose to greatness *because* of the talents God gave to him. He used them consistently no matter what circumstance he found himself in. His circumstances were outside his comfort zone, for sure, but I don't see that he ever needed to use different talents. In fact, his talents improved with use.

Moses, too, had great leadership talents. God just needed to put him in a different circumstance for a while to develop a different leadership style.

[GreatLakesGramma]

I agree with Aubrey and Carolaa. My health was destroyed in part by trying to be something I am not, doing things God did not design me to do. And at the same time, I was unable to effectively do what God called me to do, because I was under constant stress doing things that He did not intend for me to do. They were good things, and needed to be done, but I was not the one who should have been doing them.

What He has called me to do is not very visible, nor would most consider it significant. But it is significant to those on the receiving end, and who but God knows what might have been if I neglected it.

[carolaa]

I'm trying to think of any examples of people who did great things by moving out of their talented areas.

[carolaa]

I'm trying to think of any examples of people who did great things by moving out of their talented areas.

Oh, I just thought of one. Corrie ten Boom, who was sent to the prison camps for helping Jews. After she got out, she discovered, to her dismay, that she was no longer able to be covert. So she decided it must have been a gift from God for a specific time, because it was certainly not in her personality. Cool story!

[Neil D]

Because there were two messages that dealt with my adendum to Stan, I am going to make some general statements...The first is this one from Carolaa-

Actually, not everything great is accomplished outside of our gifts/talents/personality. It may be the circumstances, instead, that are outside our comfort zone.

[Outta Here]

After a night of sleep, I think I see a problem in what I said at first. What is mediocre anyway? What is great? Are the things that Jesus does 'great' or 'mediocre'?

I know many, many, many will disagree with what I'm about to say, but I believe it to be true, nonetheless: what Jesus did was not great; nor was it mediocre, really. He did what was in His power to do. He did His Father's will.

Now, if we are each to do our Father's will, to do that which He plans for us to do--are we doing mediocre work, or are we doing great work?

Either way (or any other way). If we are each doing what our Father wills for each of us to do, it will be enough.

[GreatLakesGramma]

It doesn't matter how small or large the work is, if we do it with all our heart, for His glory and the blessing of others, it is great in God's eyes.

[phkrause]

Absolutely GLG.

pk

[carolaa]

Neil, I see what you are saying. The big difference I see is that Stan was talking about people stepping out of their comfort zones. What I was talking about is how God places us outside of our comfort zones. One is us doing it; the other is God doing it.

[Gail]

I think that most people already have a sense of what they are good at and what they enjoy. They probably have at least a partial grasp of their personality traits, too.

I find that going out of my comfort zone just stresses me out, unless as someone mentioned it is a special circumstance where God provides the grace to meet it.

[carolaa]

I think there's also the issue of stepping out in faith to do something bigger for God. Sometimes that is outside of our comfort zone but within our gifts/talents. That is simply called growth.

For example, a person may lead a children's class, then they may direct a Vacation Bible School, then they may lead a Sabbath School workshop or take charge of a children's division for a large camp meeting.