Was Jesus an Extrovert or an Introvert?
A few years ago, as we were walking along a windswept and empty beach, my hubby turned to me and said,
“Man, I love this place! There are hardly any people here! It’s so isolated, I could write a book undisturbed, grow a beard, and never dress up! I could stay in this place forever!”
While Joey was daydreaming wistfully about his ‘ideal quiet place’ far away from wifi and city life, I was having nightmarish visions of living like Tom Hanks, forever stranded in some deserted island.
My only companion would be a bearded husband, dressed like an unwashed hermit, wearing an old, holey t-shirt, held together by vines… and I, a half-crazed, conversation-starved woman with finger nails like claws, talking to a coconut named Vito.
To say that Joey and I have different personalities is an understatement. To realize that we have been married for 33 years is a miracle.
This made me think . . . if Jesus were physically here, who would He be like? Would he be like Joey and enjoy prolonged isolation? Or would he come to a party with me, socialize, and meet my friends?
But then, we are so uniquely created as human beings that none of us fit neatly in a simple category. No one is purely extrovert or purely introvert. There are times when Joey is the more gregarious, friendly one, conversing for hours, while I just want to go home!
So what would Jesus be, I wonder?
*Q. Where Did Jesus Get His Energy From?
Extroverts get recharged by being around people. Introverts get recharged by spending time alone.
How did Jesus get recharged? What refreshed him?
There were times we found him talking for hours to five thousand people. There were times he spent with his smaller group of twelve, familiar friends.
Then we find these revealing verses:
But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:15-16
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Luke 6:12
Secret #1: Fresh wisdom and energy come from spending time with our Father.
Human companionship is great and time alone can also be wonderful. But regardless of our personalities, as Christians, we need the habit of spending time with our Father. To read what He has to say.
True refreshing comes from spending time with your Father in heaven, who completely ‘gets’ you, accepts you, loves you, and has tons of wisdom to give you.
Secret #2: Our personality is not the Lord over our life.
We can choose to be Christ-like regardless of how we’re wired. We have a choice to respond in a Christ-like manner, whether we feel like it or not. We can’t make our personalities an excuse to behave badly or unkindly.
See how a tired and hungry Jesus behaved in John 4. He encounters a Samaritan woman, a type of person highly unpopular with the Jews. But Jesus chooses to befriend her.
Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, . . . “Why are you talking with her?” (27)
. . . his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” (31-32)
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work”. (34)
Secret # 3: Our nourishment comes from doing God’s will and receiving His approval.
I’m inspired by how Jesus set aside his own discomfort in order share to a stranger the Good News. I’m encouraged by how confident He was of His Dad’s approval.
So, back to the question: was Jesus, an extrovert or an introvert? Hmmm, what do you think?
Let’s apply Secret #1, and find out. ; >
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