Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Psalm 139:14 “I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.  Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.” (HCSB)

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

I certainly didn’t expect this at all.

I’ve seen my faults every time I fall,

But, today I didn’t expect to face them ALL.

Our Ministry is doing personality assessments for staff strengthening and team building. I’ve taken the DISC assessment test before, but I’ve always had the sneaky suspicion that I rigged the test with who I thought I should be rather than answers true to my heart, mind and soul. So, I took it again.

Shock. As I read the results I began to cry. I’d gotten the results I’d hoped to avoid all these years, but I knew the test was right because the weaknesses felt so familiar. The description I read was the person I’d been fighting not to become my whole life.

Women aren’t praised for being D’s; for being daring, direct, dominant, decisive, a risk taker, needing to lead, desiring to win, extroverted, task-oriented, a direct communicator, challenge oriented, self-motivated, forward thinking, having the limitations of overstepping authority, being impatient and argumentative and becoming angry.

“Good, Christian women” are supposed to be submissive, gentle, caring, loving, patient, nurturing and submissive, right?

My family listened as I sat in the Sushi restaurant, unable to eat. I cried, reading the result of my test  out loud. Sweet compassionate Joseph couldn’t handle my sadness and pleaded for me to stop reading. My wise Jacob began to encourage me, assuring me I was being harder on myself than I should. And Clayton asked, “Can you not see the positives?”

I looked into my husband’s eyes, but kept my words to myself as I thought “No. When you’re a little girl, it’s kind of cute to be a tomboy. But, as a teenager, you’re labeled strong willed and rebellious. And in my experience, people quickly slap harsh labels on women who are strong leaders. God, why did you give me this personality when you knew I’d be a girl?”

As the day went on, He showed me a few reasons. He gave me this personality to:

• Protect me from abusive step-fathers
• Give me the qualities I need to marry a man with such a strong personality
• To lead my children when my husband is traveling
• To travel, speak and teach God’s word
• To write books and minister to people
• To mentor and encourage women

I am not broken. The designer of my soul gave me my personality.

When I got my results, I was scared to embrace them, but my sister encouraged me, “Sharie, I am so excited by the freedom God is going to open up to you. You are going to soar now more than ever because God is giving you the permission to be who you are, not who you’re expected to be.”

Mirror, mirror on the wall.

I will not let my personality make me fall.

I will see my strengths and guard my faults,

But I will trust You, Father, to hold them all.

Tangible Take-Away:

Make a list of the personality traits you believe God expects you to have.  Are these true to you?

Ask someone to you trust to look over your list and challenge or encourage you with any misconceptions you may have about who you are or what God expects from you.

How has God used your personality in your story/testimony?

Offer It Up:

“Daddy, we misunderstand you all the time. Give us the grace to walk through those misconceptions as you remove our blinders so that we can grow and know you better.”

© 2013 by Sharie King. All rights reserved.

Sweet Tweet:

Mirror, mirror on the wall, I certainly didn’t expect this at all.

I am not broken. The designer of my soul gave me my personality.

Deuteronomy 31:6: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified.., for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”