By Evan Page

True confession: I love personality tests. I love the Enneagram. I even like quizzes that help me figure out my love language. I find it fascinating to learn more about myself and those around me, especially my husband. There are so many different types of assessments out there, and I feel like I learn something every time I do one. There are ones specifically designed to grow your business and work teams, understand your children, and build a healthier relationship with a friend or a spouse. As helpful and interesting as they are, I have one major issue with them: how Christians use them.

We can trace the interest in understanding personality to the Ancient Greeks. However, the first named personality test was developed in 1917, around World War I, to find out the susceptibility of soldiers to having nervous breakdowns. Since then, numerous tests have been developed, some taking more than 20 years to perfect. All this just goes to show how fascinated we are as humans to better understand ourselves. Now, before I go on to explain my issue, let me be clear. There are plenty of good things that have come from assessments like Myers-Briggs, DISC, and the Enneagram. They have and will continue to give a better understanding of an individual’s personality. These assessments aren’t all bad. But they also aren’t our end goal.

Yes, I do think understanding how we function as individuals can help us see our strengths and weaknesses. I believe it is important for us to continue to learn about ourselves and others because it helps with extending grace, healing hurts, and understanding how to grow as an individual. These assessments have personally impacted the health of my marriage, the way I parent, and how to understand relationships with people close to me. They’ve helped me see ways I can be loving to others. But even then, the end goal is fixed on me. No personality test is the answer to broken relationships and self-destructive behaviors. Myers-Briggs may give you more understanding, but it isn’t the way to true life. Jesus is.

I think the increase in wanting to understand our own personality has decreased our vision as believers to become more Christ-minded. We are so busy trying to understand ourselves and learning more about who we are than focusing on who we are supposed to become—more like Jesus. Our mission in this world shouldn’t be to have the best understanding of how my life circumstances have created who I am today. Our mission should be to become more and more like Christ every day.

 Evan Page lives in Hilton Head Island with her husband, Stephen, and their three children, Merrick, Wake, and Wells. She is currently a stay-at-home mom, and most of her days are filled with trying to capture adventures with her children on camera.