For this week “What’s the Shape of Your Faith” Heather chose “personality” for the next area to be explored in her What’s the Shape of Your Faith series.

Heather asked us to take the following test:

Test: I removed the previous test and changed to this one:
A detailed Keirsey like test, which is similar to the Keirsey Temperament Sorter but which gives you all your results whereas the updates Adviser team test does not. .

Below are my results:

Your personality type is ISTJ.

Introverted
Sensing
Thinking
Judging

ISTJs are often called inspectors. They have a keen sense of right and wrong, especially in their area of interest and/or responsibility. They are noted for devotion to duty. Punctuality is a watchword of the ISTJ (yes that would be correct). The secretary (that is my current job), clerk, or business(wo)man by whom others set their clocks is likely to be an ISTJ.

As do other Introverted Thinkers, ISTJs often give the initial impression of being aloof and perhaps somewhat cold. Effusive expression of emotional warmth is not something that ISTJs do without considerable energy loss.

ISTJs are most at home with “just the facts, Ma’am.” They seem to perform at highest efficiency when employing a step-by-step approach. Once a new procedure has proven itself (i.e., has been shown “to work,”) the ISTJ can be depended upon to carry it through, even at the expense of their own health.

ISTJs are easily frustrated by the inconsistencies of others, especially when the second parties don’t keep their commitments (second part is true). But they usually keep their feelings to themselves unless they are asked. And when asked, they don’t mince words (ok hate to admit it but true). Truth wins out over tact. The grim determination of the ISTJ vindicates itself in officiation of sports events, judiciary functions, or an other situation which requires making tough calls and sticking to them. (nope don’t like being put in the position)

His SJ orientation draws the ISTJ into the service of established institutions. Home, social clubs, government, schools, the military, churches — these are the bastions of the SJ. “We’ve always done it this way” is often reason enough for many ISTJs (I don’t think I am that way). Threats to time-honored traditions or established organizations (e.g., a “run” on the bank) are the undoing of SJs, and are to be fought at all costs.

STJs generally have the following traits:

• Value tradition, security, and peaceful living
• Will work long and hard to fulfill duties
• Can be depended on to follow through on tasks
• Loyal and faithful
• Stable, practical and down-to-earth
• Family-minded
• Dislike doing things which don’t make sense to them
• Dislike abstract theory, unless they see the practical application
• Natural leaders
• Prefer to work alone, but work well in teams when necessary
• Extremely observant, they take in facts via their senses and store them internally
• Vast, rich inner store of facts which they rely on to understand problems which they encounter in their lives
• Profound respect for facts and concrete information
• Make decisions objectively, applying logic and rational thinking
• Dislike change, unless they are shown it’s benefit in a concrete way
• Have strong opinions about the way things should be done
• Appreciate structured, orderly environments
• Have very high standards for their own behavior and the behavior of others
• Not naturally in-tune with other people’s feelings
• Able to accomplish almost anything if they put their minds to it
• Community minded “good citizens”

ISTJs have one character trait which puts them at a definite advantage in terms of career success – Perseverance. An ISTJ can do almost anything that they have decided to do. However, there are areas in which they will function more happily and naturally. An ISTJ will do best in a career in which they can use their excellent organizational skills (yes that would be me) and their powers of concentration to create order and structure. ISTJs seem to fit extremely well into the Management and Executive layer of the corporate business world.

Heather asked us to now apply what we just learned about ourselves:Heather I really struggled with this part (see below)

In closing, I agree with most of it. I am not sure about the judging part. I don’t feel like I judge people, but I could be wrong. I am open to learning more about the judging aspect. But the other three I agree with.

More than you would ever what to know about me =)

UPDATED: Heather helped me interpret some of the results, this helped me. The red is my response to Heather’s comments

Laurel, you did fine. This is not a True or false test and you didn’t even need to answer all the questions. Looking at pictures of your home and how you handled the going into the surgery (making sure everything was ready) you are definitely a J. When Christ is part of our lives He does soften the edges (this He has =)), a lot. the longer we know Him the less the personality tests capture our true selves. It doesn’t sounds like you are very S, T, or J. More than likely you are closer to the middle in each of these, which is why the description wasn’t a perfect fit. I am right in the middle on Introverted/Extroverted which means that neither side is a perfect picture of who I am (I agree, it depends on the situation for me). As far as ministry is concerned I would guess that you re not the one to step out and start something new unless He gives you a direct command (true, fear of failure, unless given a command then I hop to it, =)) . I, on the other hand, will do something new just to do something new. I would guess, from what you have said, that you are more likely to follow the rules, to expect others to do so, and be surprised when they don’t (yes this is true also). Recognizing this may help you be more able to see gently help others see things from God’s perspective. (I am grasping at straws here. (I think you are doing a great job)

I did find this very interesting and when Heather helped me put it into perspective and made sense out of it for me, I can I agree mostly with the results .

Head on over to Graced by Christ and see what personality you are.