The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality assessment that categorizes individuals into one of 16 personality types based on their preferences in four domains: Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. The MBTI has become immensely popular in workplaces, schools, churches, and among individuals seeking self-understanding. As Christians, how should we think about personality tests like the MBTI?
A Brief Overview of the MBTI
The MBTI was developed in the 1940s by mother-daughter duo Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs based on the psychological theories of Carl Jung. Jung believed individuals have innate preferences for how they focus their attention, take in information, make decisions, and orient themselves to the external world. The MBTI sorts individuals into 16 personality types based on combinations of preferences on four spectrums:
- Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I): Extraverts are oriented outwardly and get energy from interacting with people and external stimuli. Introverts are oriented inwardly and get energy from reflection and solitude.
- Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N): Sensors trust concrete facts and data from their five senses. Intuitives focus on patterns, meanings, and speculative possibilities.
- Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F): Thinkers make impersonal, objective decisions based on logic and reason. Feelers make personalized, subjective decisions based on values and impact on people.
- Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P): Judgers prefer order, closure, planning, and decisiveness. Perceivers prefer flexibility, openness, spontaneity, and breadth of information.
Based on one’s preference on each spectrum, the MBTI identifies 16 personality types, such as ESTJ, INFP, ENTP, and so forth. The MBTI assessment contains around 100 forced-choice questions that identify an individual’s preferences. The goal of the MBTI is to help people understand their inherent gifts, natural strengths, potential areas for growth, and approaches to decision-making.
Cautions Regarding the MBTI
While the MBTI offers insights into personality and behavior, Christians should be aware of several cautions regarding the assessment:
- Limited scientific reliability and validity – Studies on the MBTI have found mixed and inconsistent reliability and validity results. Personality researchers have criticized the MBTI for dichotomizing continuous personality dimensions, forcing individuals into binary choices that may not match their true preferences.
- Tendency to pigeonhole people – The MBTI’s 16 discrete categories can lead to simplistic stereotyping of people’s multi-faceted and dynamic personalities. The MBTI should be seen as a starting point for self-discovery, not an endpoint.
- Self-fulfilling prophecies – There is a danger people will conform themselves to the MBTI profile they receive, adopting it as a self-fulfilling prophecy rather than reaching their unique potential.
- Excusing weaknesses – Some use the MBTI to rationalize their flaws rather than recognizing all people have strengths and weaknesses to develop across their personality profile.
- Replacing divine guidance – While practical personality tools can have value, some rely on the MBTI as a replacement for seeking God’s will for the direction of their life and relationships.
The MBTI is best seen as a gateway, not a guide, on the journey of self-understanding. It should never take the place of biblical wisdom, counsel from godly mentors, and ultimately, the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Key Biblical Principles Related to Personality
Scripture does not directly address personality taxonomies like the MBTI. However, the Bible does emphasize truths relevant to understanding human personality and our relationships with one another:
- Human diversity – God created people with diversity in strengths, interests, and temperaments (Genesis 1:27, Romans 12:4-6). We should value human variety and the way it enriches community.
- True identity in Christ – Our core identity is found in being made in God’s image and redeemed by Christ, not any personality profile (Genesis 1:27, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
- Oneness in Christ – Regardless of temperament differences, believers are united in Christ and called to partner in His work (Galatians 3:28, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14).
- Use gifts for others – God gifts each person uniquely to serve others, not selfishly pursue self-actualization (1 Peter 4:10, Romans 12:3-8).
- Need for growth – All personality types have weaknesses needing growth in Christlikeness (Philippians 2:1-11, James 1:4).
- Cultivate wisdom and character – Biblical wisdom and character should be pursued more than self-insight alone (Proverbs 4, 2 Peter 1:3-9).
Scripture gives principles for relating to others and becoming whole, integrated people in Christ. While personality assessments can have value, our fundamental identity and direction for growth comes from God’s Word.
Cautions in Using the MBTI in the Church
In some church contexts, pastors and ministry leaders utilize the MBTI to build teams, counsel parishioners, and craft vision based on members’ personality types. However, Christians should exercise caution when using the MBTI in the church:
- Avoid stereotyping members – The MBTI can reinforce limiting stereotypes more than recognizing each person’s God-given uniqueness.
- Beware of excuses – The MBTI can provide excuses for not dealing with harmful behaviors rooted in sinful habits more than personality alone.
- Guard against pride – Knowledge of personality differences can breed condescension and pride, not Christ-like humility and other-centeredness.
- Emphasize what unites – Personality tests can accentuate differences. Churches should emphasize the unity all have in Christ.
- Nurture maturity – Churches should nurture spiritual and emotional maturity that transcends personality limitations.
- Remember only a tool – The MBTI is one useful but limited tool, not a replacement for biblical wisdom for life.
With care and wisdom, churches can fruitfully use insights from the MBTI to understand their members and build community. However, the tool should be used with caution and never replace dependence on Scripture and the Spirit’s guidance.
Healthy Perspective for Christians
So what should be the healthiest perspective Christians take toward the MBTI? Here are several suggestions:
- See it as a gateway, not guide – The MBTI can provide gateways to self-insight, but should not guide ultimate life decisions.
- Recognize its limits – Christians should use discernment and recognize the MBTI’s limits in reliability and validity for assessing something as complex as human personality.
- Expect some useful insights – When used carefully, the MBTI can yield helpful insights into temperament tendencies and growth areas.
- Avoid pigeonholing people – Wise Christians will appreciate each person’s unique complexity beyond any personality profile.
- Emphasize growth – Personality tests become harmful when used to rationalize stagnation. Our focus should be pursuing growth in Christlikeness.
- Develop true discernment – Christians should develop Spirit-led discernment and wisdom to understand people, not just rely on tools like the MBTI.
- Focus on character and wisdom – God calls every personality type to develop Christ-like character and biblical wisdom for life.
When seen as an imperfect but useful gateway to self-understanding, the MBTI can be helpful. But it should never replace a Christian’s identity in Christ or the Spirit’s guidance in becoming the unique person God designed us to be for His glory.
Examples of Different MBTI Personality Types
To give a better feel for the diversity of MBTI types, below are examples of how different personality types express common traits based on their type profiles:
Leadership Style
- ESTJ – Direct, task-oriented, focused on results and efficiency
- ENFJ – Warm, empathetic, driven by harmony and bringing out the best in people
- ENTJ – Charismatic, decisive, bold visionaries focused on achievement
- ISFJ – Loyal, dependable, leading by serving needs with practical support
Relating to Others
- ESFJ – Warmly empathetic, affectionate, invested in providing for others’ needs
- INTP – Logical, detached, focused more on ideas than cultivating emotional intimacy
- ENFP – Warm, enthusiastic, drawn to connect deeply and explore meanings
- ISTJ – Reserved, dutiful, showing care through practical service and dependability
Cognitive Style
- INTJ – Abstract, strategic analysis to discern insights and patterns
- ISFP – Concrete, sensory experience focused on the reality of the present moment
- ENTP – Innovative, conceptual, focused on generating new ideas and possibilities
- ESTP – Realistic, pragmatic, focused on facts and immediate results
Work Style
- ISTP – Practical, adaptable, focused on hands-on projects that yield tangible results
- INFJ – Imaginative, collaborative, driven by meaningful innovation that aligns with their values
- ESTJ – Productive, efficient, motivated by accomplishing concrete objectives
- INFP – Creative, idealistic, enjoys working independently to create something meaningful
This small sampling demonstrates the diversity of personalities God has crafted. The MBTI can help appreciate people’s differences. However, we must also seek unity and growth in Christ across all personality types.
Healthy Uses of the MBTI for Christians
While Christians should exercise discernment with the MBTI, there can be healthy ways for it to be utilized by believers including:
- Appreciating God’s creativity – The MBTI can foster awe at the diversity with which God crafted people.
- Building self-awareness – When not taken rigidly, MBTI profiles can help individuals identify strengths, growth areas, and tendencies they exhibit.
- Understanding others – Knowledge of the MBTI can help relate to and communicate with others of differing personality types.
- Achieving balance – Those leading groups can use MBTI insights to ensure tasks, relationships, details, and big picture concerns are balanced.
- Complementary partnering – Couples and team members can identify complementary strengths and weaknesses to partner together.
- Appreciating uniqueness – The MBTI can combat conformity by helping people embrace the uniqueness God gave them.
- Affirming design – Identifying personality tendencies can affirm the way God fearfully and wonderfully made each individual.
With wisdom and discernment, the MBTI can be one tool to appreciate the diversity of people God created and understand how to relate to others with Christ-like love.
Cautions for Christians in Using the MBTI
While the MBTI can have value, Christians should also be aware of several potential cautions when using or relying on the tool:
- Replacing dependence on God – Christians should not use the MBTI for guidance and direction in place of seeking God in His Word and Spirit.
- Defining identity – Our fundamental identity is found in being image-bearers of God and followers of Christ, not any personality profile.
- Excusing harmful behaviors – Christians should not use their MBTI type to rationalize sinful habits, blind spots, or avoid growth areas.
- Stereotyping people – The MBTI can promote limiting and unhelpful stereotypes more than nuanced appreciation of people.
- Breeding pride – Knowledge of personality differences can foster sinful comparison and pride in those perceiving themselves as superior types.
- Emphasizing differences – An unhealthy focus on MBTI differences can eclipse our unity as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Wise Christians recognize both the potential benefits and limitations of personality indicators like the MBTI, never letting it replace dependence on God and His Word.
Case Studies Applying the MBTI in Christian Contexts
Below are fictional examples of how the MBTI could be applied to various situations in Christian contexts:
Church Ministry Team
A children’s ministry team wanted to improve their effectiveness working together. They had each team member take the MBTI. On their team they discovered they had ESTJ, ISTJ, ENFP, and ISFJ types. The pastor helped them understand and appreciate each other’s types – the directive and scheduling gifts of the ESTJ and ISTJs, the creative inspirations of the ENFP, and the caring heart of the ISFJ. The team learned to leverage each other’s strengths while also practicing flexibility and understanding where each type had blind spots. Over time, they learned to complement each other’s gifts and have meaningful discussions to make decisions, not just rely on majority rule. Their ministry became more creative, organized, and caring as they applied MBTI insights with wisdom and unity.
Dating Couple
Amanda and John were a dating couple struggling to connect. Amanda tended to be very organized, punctual, and oriented toward rational logic as an INTJ. John was more easy-going, spontaneous, and focused on cultivating emotional intimacy as an ESFP. Through learning about each other’s MBTI personality differences, John and Amanda gained useful insights. Amanda appreciated John’s ability to help her be more in touch with her feelings, while John valued Amanda’s skills at strategizing and planning. They also set healthy boundaries, like agreeing John would work on being punctual for meaningful events to Amanda, while Amanda would not try to over-control their dates. With mutual understanding and adaptability while being themselves, their relationship grew stronger.
Church Member Growth
James was a longtime church member who took the MBTI and discovered he was an ISFJ – warm and caring but also passive and indecisive. His pastor challenged him not to use his type as an excuse, but rather to grow. James took small steps out of his comfort zone to take more initiative at church in planning events, regularly inviting newcomers out for lunch, and looking for ways to bless his neighbors. At first this did not come naturally, but with the Spirit’s help James used his self-knowledge to become more well-rounded and effective for God’s kingdom.
These examples illustrate healthy, discerning uses of the MBTI by Christians desiring growth in serving God and people.
Bottom Line
The MBTI can function as an imperfect but useful gateway to self-awareness if used wisely with several caveats. Christians should avoid stereotyping or pigeonholing people based on personality profiles. The MBTI should never replace seeking God’s will for our lives and relationships. While personality insights can have value, our primary identity is as beloved children of God, redeemed to become ever more like Christ. The MBTI is one helpful but limited tool for appreciating the diversity God created within humans. With discernment, humility, and Christ-centered unity, Christians can fruitfully utilize personality assessments to understand themselves and relate to others with wisdom and compassion.