What Makes Us Better Is Dealing with Those Differences in The Right Way
We’ve all been in situations where our feelings have been hurt or we hurt someone else’s. Most of the time this is unintentional, not always, but most of the time.
I’ve told the story many times about how my feelings used to be hurt when my wife would give me a short and direct answer on a question. These “crushing blows to my psyche were perplexing to me. I was sure that she loved me, why would she be so uncaring with her answers?
Then we did a DISC personality profile test while leading a Financial Peace University class at our church. The understanding of these different personalities was huge. It changed everything for me.
I realized that she answered me directly without wasting any time or energy on unnecessary frivolities. While on the other hand I was unrealistically expecting a detailed, analytical, well thought out and caring answer. Once I understood our differences it made all the difference in the world.
It’s important to know who we are and who other people are.
Some years ago, The Archbishop of Canterbury was rushing to catch a train in London. In his haste, he accidentally jumped on the wrong passenger car and found himself on a car full of inmates from a mental hospital. They were all dressed in mental hospital clothing.
Just as the train pulled out of the station, an orderly came in and began to count the inmates, “1-2-3-4…” when suddenly he saw this distinguished looking gentleman there wearing a business suit and a clerical collar and he said:
“Who are you?” The answer came back: “I am the Archbishop of Canterbury!” And the orderly said: “5-6-7-8.”
Another good example of this in Luke 10:38-42, where Martha is working hard to make everything perfect for Jesus’ visit while Mary is sitting in the other room listening to Him. Jesus tells Martha to relax and make sure her focus is on the ‘one important thing’.
Martha was resentful, narrow and unkind with her complaint of her sister. She was caught up in her own inner desires and thoughts. She wasn’t giving any consideration to her sister’s differences.
Since taking the DISC personality profile I have taken a few different kinds of personality tests. Even though there are a variety of differences in these tests, one thing is true and consistent through all of them.
We are all different…not better…just different.
It pays huge dividends to know and recognize and embrace these differences. I heard it said once by a married couple, “If we were both the same, one of us wouldn’t be needed.”
We are all made in God’s image. This means that all our differences are representative of Him. Let’s see our differences as individual puzzle pieces and find out where we fit into His big puzzle.