Heart Choices: Faith Barista Jam ~ Personality and Faith -->

Theme Layout

Boxed or Wide or Framed

Theme Translation

Display Featured Slider

Featured Slider Styles

Display Grid Slider

Grid Slider Styles

Display Trending Posts

Display Author Bio

Display Instagram Footer

Dark or Light Style

Faith Barista Jam ~ Personality and Faith


FaithBarista_FreshJamBadgeG


I'm jamming again with Bonnie Gray of The Faith Barista.  Our topic for this week is:

How Does Your Faith Affect Your Personality?

I love family!  This photo probably dates back to the early 1990's.  My mom was quite the joker and the Sumstad's know how to laugh and have fun together.  

This photo shows another side to my personality.  My niece Katie and my sister Christine and I were hamming it up at Kristin's wedding over Labor Day weekend.

This is a collage created by my blogging friend Philip from Cyprus.  I think it shows you a bit of my personality too.  I love children, friends and family.  And that middle photo tells you another aspect of Debbie.  Greg gets that look which means "don't mess with me".  :)

We may be born with a basic personality type but I believe life circumstances can impact our personality. 

Florence Littauer authored a book entitled "Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself".  You can access the Personality Test to find out your personality type.

My results reveal that my primary personality is a Popular Sanguine.  I love people and connecting with others.  However, my second highest score is the Phlegmatic Peaceful personality.  Although I love people, I also need time alone and quiet.  Give me  balance or I get cranky.

**Note: As Christians, and especially as Christian leaders, we should use personality tests
to better understand ourselves and others. They are not intended to lock us in to one particular personality. i.e. We are not allowed to blame our sin on our personality type. We are not slaves to our personality, we are slaves to Christ. If Christ is changing us day by day, He will sand away our rough edges so that we will become more like Him.* Florence Littauer

So back to our jamming question:  Does faith affect your personality?

I believe it does.  As I grow in my faith and draw closer in my walk with the Lord, He begins to transform me.  No amount of self-help can compare in any way to what God can do. 

When I truly understand who I am in Christ:
  • I become more God confident; not self-confident.
  • I become more loving as His love overflows to others.
  • I become less anxious as I learn to trust Him in all circumstances.
  • I become less controlling as I realize that He holds my life in His hands. 
  • I become more joyful despite challenges and trials because of the hope that He provides.
However, on this side of eternity I still struggle with my flesh.  I wish I could say that I'm always loving, calm, joyful, kind, compassionate, etc.  But even yesterday the fleshly Debbie came out when I was talking to one of my closest friends. 

I was in the midst of some very real trials when my good friend Helen called to see how I was doing.  Believe me, she got an earful.  I very quickly and emotionally ran down a list of what was happening.  By the time we hung up, I felt bad about unloading but she reassured me that was OK.  I realized that sometimes my closest friends see the fleshly Debbie more often that I care to admit.  (Sorry Helen).

But when I abide in Christ, the fruit of the Spirit is more evident.  In Romans 6, Paul writes about the struggle he had with sin and self.  And Paul had even experienced a foretaste of heaven.  I have the hope of heaven and life eternal with Christ but ...I struggle at times.  

My heart's desire is to allow the Lord to transform me.  Only He can soften the edges of my natural personality.  As I learn to trust and obey Him, He provides me with opportunities to use the gifts He has given to me.  Those gifts will be used for His Kingdom purposes. 

As a result, it will be obvious to others that it's not Debbie but Christ in me.  And then ...He gets all the glory.

 
Blessings and love,

QuickEdit
Debbie Petras
13 Comments
Share This Post :

You Might Also Like

13 comments:

  1. I’m not surprised that you’re a sanguine. You seem so bubbly and caring, even online. I love how you state that no amount of self-help can compare to what God can do. My heart’s desire also is for God to transform me. I know he’s up to the task!

    So thankful for you and for what you let God do in your life, Debbie.
    Hugs,
    Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your personality does shine through those photos. Your faith has made that smile on your face.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I took the test and I am mostly Meloncholy with Choleric in second place. The Meloncholy didn't surprise me but the Choleric did but maybe that's just the mom in me that wants to make sure everyone is behaving and doing what they're supposed to! lol

    ReplyDelete
  4. Debbie, you look so different in each photo I see of you... by that I mean, when there is a photo with more than one person in it, I always have a little trouble spotting which one is you. Different angles give you a different look. Maybe it's my eyes ;) Either way, you're beautiful!

    I have done the personality test many years ago. I was always predominantly sanguine with a heavy dose of melancholy in the mix.

    I am like you, I love people but I also love solitude... I need both. When I have a little more time (been busy cleaning that big house for the 'floor' money lol), I will retake it again to see if I still come up the same. A lot can change in a person in 14 years LOL!

    I'll let you know back here what the result is, once I get back to it.

    Bless you darling :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. I really enjoyed your post! And we have the same personality combo :-)

    I love how God creates us uniquely, and yet, even in our personality that he created, there is weakness that requires us to lean on Him.

    Thank you for your post.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great post! Guess what I am...Melancholy of course with a little Phlegmatic. Hardly any sanguine. :{ So I asked God for Sanguine friends to balance me. He also filled me with His Holy Spirit and now I'm not so grumpy and scared but more BOLD and don't forget...free!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I enjoyed the collage you put together for us -- we can see more of you and your personality -- as well as the spiritual collage you shared as well. Thank you for being courageous to be transparent, because I believe we are all continually in the process of being transformed. You are so encouraging, Debbie! Now.. let me go take that personality test you linked to... :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I agree with Bonnie! The collage (and other photos) are a great way to show different aspects of your personality. Thanks for letting us have a bigger picture of you. Thanks, too, for your transparency. Self-determined vs. God determined---powerful!

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is a great post like your kind and gentle personality my dear friend Debbie. The pictures are just gorgeous. Hugs from your far away Greek friend, Philip

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh did this test years ago...an addressed it on my blog with children's personalities and how they work in a family.
    I totally agree with what you said and should take the test again and be reminded where I am giving into my flesh.
    Thanks for sharing...I probably have that book on my shelf..seems like God is bring a lot of old books back to me recently,

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yes, most likely the people closest to us get to see the 'fleshy' us. It is good to have friends and family who we can share our struggles with. This journey is not easy, but through His grace and provision we will reach our final destination.

    Thank you for sharing from your heart.

    Love & peace,
    <>< Iris

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have no idea what my "personality" stuff would say but I do pray I'm being transformed by the LORD daily to be whatever is glorifying to HIM.

    I so love you and your heart. Love the photos!

    Can't imagine that face in the middle saying, don't mess with me (smile).

    Hugs.

    ReplyDelete

I love to read your comments! I know you have something to share so join in the conversation. And thank you for taking the time.

[name=DEBBIE PETRAS] [img=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2CDrwq9-7eo/WV6tdbP-QgI/AAAAAAACfb0/ViqQSnSVaDsMLXyz3AEEzZ5-78luBHOGgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Debbie%2BFace%2Bblog.JPG] [description=]