Are you more like Austin or Ally?
If you donāt know, there are (of course) a multitude of on-line quizzes and tests that you can take to see which character in the Disney series you most line up with.Ā Because, obviously, I will not sleep as well until I know which House of Mouse actor my inner child can most relate to, right?
Never fear loyal reader, I have the assessment already good to go for you!Ā Think for a moment about how you relate to the world around you:
-Would you rather be the star of the stage or the brilliant creator in the corner?
-Would you rather be with a group of friends or have a one-on-one conversation?
-Would you rather express yourself vocally or in writing?
-Would you rather have wealth and status or a quiet, trouble free life?
-Would you rather be a risk taker or a safe better?
And probably one of the most obvious questions is thisā¦Do you tend to speak before you think, or think before you speak?
By now you should know if you are more like Austin the extrovert or Ally the introvert, and like the premise of the show, you should celebrate the way God wired you!
But unfortunately, thatās not always the case.Ā I know introverts who feel like they donāt have a voice in a world that canāt seem to stop talking.Ā I know extroverts who will probably never know the power of being still and quiet long enough to hear the still, small voice of God.
The truth of the matter is that we are called by Jesus to be both!Ā There is no pure extrovert or pure introvert on the planet, so in reality you are simply operating within your preferences.
Certainly, you will be more comfortable sharing your faith with others when you embrace the way God has wired you and lean into the specific strengths of your own unique personality traits.
But frequently, God may call you out of your comfort zone for the sake of the gospel. In other wordsāAustin, sometimes youāll need to be Ally.Ā And Ally, youāll need to release your hidden extrovert and be more like Austin!
Donāt just take my word for itā¦check out some of the key passages of Godās Word that give us a prescription for following Jesus:
Jesus came and told his disciples,Ā āI have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.Ā Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,Ā baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.Ā Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the ageā (Matthew 28:18-20).
When Jesus commanded them to āgo,ā what He literally meant was āas you go in your journey,ā which means that even if you are an introvert, you need to initiate relationships and spiritual conversations that open the door for the gospel to be shared.Ā It may be uncomfortable, but that is why Jesus promised that He will be āwith you always.āĀ Let the presence of Jesus in your life give you the confidence to be extroverted for THE Cause!
And if you are extroverted by nature, listen to these words:
Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.Ā Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).
I personally donāt know many extroverts whose goal in life is to be āquietāāquite the opposite, actually.Ā But God wants to reach everyone with His salvation message, and there are a great many introverted people out there who are actually turned off by the perpetually-cheerful-in-your-face-hand-shakers.Ā And did you notice in the verse that living quietly will actually earn their respect?Ā And r-e-s-p-e-c-t is a critical foundation for the g-o-s-p-e-l, for sure.
So letās all take a lesson from Austin and Ally.Ā Since we all have a bit of both of them in our wiring, letās go out and make disciples as we live a quiet life.Ā Letās bust out of our preconceived comfort zones and be empowered by Jesus to be āall things to all peopleā (1 Corinthians 9:22), so that through our āinnieā or āoutieā personalities, THE Cause will go forward!
Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action
Take some time to think through how God wired you, and how you can stretch yourself to be used more effective for THE Cause.Ā If you are an extrovert, build in some quiet time in your schedule.Ā If you are an introvert, take some relational risks in the power of Jesus!
Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause
Pray: Jesus, thank You for creating all of us as unique and specially designed people.Ā Help us to depend on your power to get out of our comfort zones and reach people for THE Cause.
Read: 1 Corinthians 9:22. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.Ā I have become all things to all peopleĀ so that by all possible means I might save some (NIV).
Get:Ā Greg Stierās Witnessing with Style Training Video. Are you more naturally inclined to be a āTalker,ā āStalker,ā āBuddyā or āBrainā? Check out this free faith-sharing training video to learn more about your own personal style of evangelism.
Discussion Guide for Leaders
Big Idea:Ā Everyone is āwiredā with a natural tendency toward being an introvert or extrovert, but we must always be open to getting out of our comfort zones to reach people with the gospel.
Key Scripture:Ā Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
Discussion Questions:
- Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?
- What are some of the ways God is calling you to step out beyond your personality preference?
- What personality type was Jesus?
- How can you apply this Soul Fuel to THE Cause?