*** SHOW NOTES (not a transcript) ***

Lead:

What questions should we ask about personality tests? What is the place of personality tests in a Christian worldview?

Intro:

Myers-Briggs, Strengthsfinder, Enneagram, Core Values Index, Kolbe Index A, Kiersey Temperament Sorter…personality tests have always been popular and are again quite the rage right now. In today’s All Our Minds segment I’m going to give you three practical questions to ask yourself and others.

But here we always start with the Bible, and do you know why? Because I found that if I was going to be consistent with reading the Bible in my own life, I had to do it first — before I read the news, my fantasy football scores, or whatever.

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Bible Segment:

Passage: Luke 4-5
Translation: NIV (New International Version)
Verses: 83
Words: ~1774

All Our Minds Segment:

NOTE: Most of today’s commentary is in the podcast, not written out here.

Who developed it, and what was it developed for? The each were designed to uncover insight in some way. Strengthsfinder, for instance, is based on the premise that we should pursue our strengths, which, if you didn’t agree, isn’t going to be very useful if you want to understand your weaknesses.
What is the scientific verification? Some suggest that most aren’t reliable. For instance, one long-time test, Myers-Briggs, has never been show to be an accurate predictor of workplace performance.
Are you going to look at people (including yourself) through the lens of culture, or will you look at culture and people through the lens of the Bible? If the latter, the Bible will challenge and shape you. If the former, you will shape the Bible — and Jesus — into an idol of your own making.

Two case studies

I’m not going to write this out here — you’ll want to visit the links (for more info) or listen to the podcast (for summary info).

Here’s a post I wrote a couple years ago reviewing the The Road Back to You book AND conference.

Here is a summary of the historical facts and fictions about the enneagram from Marcia Montenegro.

The bottom line

A worldview is those foundational beliefs that everyone has (whether they realize it or not), that shapes how they see the world. And when it comes to the Bible, the main question is whether your view of yourself and the world is going to be shaped by it or if you’re going to shape how you read it by what you bring to the table. If it’s God’s word, are you going to tell him what’s right and wrong or let Him do the talking?

Wisdom Segment:

Passage: Psalm 87
Translation: NIV (New International Version)
Verses: 7
Words: ~115

Love you!

-R

ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.

Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.

Sources and resources:

#894: Luke 4-5 | Personality tests | Psalm 88