INTJ.

Otter.

Red.

Enneagram 8.

All these terms come from different kinds of assessments, questionnaires, and tests that are meant to describe your individual personality. They are all, in other words, ways to think about yourself.

There is some value here, of course. It’s a good thing to understand ourselves – to know how we relate to others, how we respond to stress, and how we tend to think about situations and circumstances. Of course, as with anything, there are also negative ways personality assessments can be used, too. We can lean on them like a crutch to excuse our behavior and unless we check ourselves, we can drift into a pattern of constant self-analysis.

The point of this post, though, is not to evaluate these systems; it’s only to point out that we ought to be accustomed to things like this which frame our self image. Because that’s what they do – they not only inform us of our personalities, they actually influence how we react to circumstances and other people going forward. Surely, if a personality assessment can do this, the gospel ought to do it as well, to an even greater degree.

Over and above what our number, or color, or animal is, we ought to think of ourselves in light of the gospel. So what does the gospel tell us? How should the way we think of ourselves be changed if we have experienced the life-changing grace of Jesus? At least three things come to mind. We should think of ourselves…

1. Gratefully.

This is a hard thing for Christians to do sometimes because we misunderstand humility. Humility is not self-loathing. To be humble does not mean to hate oneself. It certainly does not mean to punish oneself or to think oneself worthless. In fact, this kind of self-hatred is not only not humility; it’s also dishonoring to our Creator who made us in His own image:

“For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made” (Psalm 139:13-14).

Self-loathing is a denial of these truths. It’s an inward defiance of the truth that God really did create us as individuals; that He really did form us intentionally; that He did not make mistakes in our physical and mental make up. Hating ourselves is not humility; it is instead a dishonor to the creative work of God. But not only did God form and create us in a specific and wondrous way, He also gave us the gift of His Spirit, and along with Him comes specific giftings we are to put to use for the good of the body of Christ.

It’s not only okay, but actually good and right to recognize that we are valuable. Even more, to recognize that we are actually good at some things. In light of the gospel, then, we can think of ourselves gratefully.

2. Sensibly.

But as we think of ourselves gratefully, we should also think of ourselves sensibly:

For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one (Rom. 12:3). 

Christians should have a “sober estimation” of themselves. That is, they should not think too highly or too lowly about who they are and their position in the universe. We can err on either side, and either side is actually a prideful stance, for we might think of ourselves as completely indispensable to the earth’s rotation, or we might think of ourselves as insignificant as a microbe.

In as much as we can be grateful for the way God has made and gifted us, we are also freed by the gospel to recognize that we are not good at everything. Because of the gospel, we ought not to be compelled to prove ourselves in any and every situation. It’s okay to not be good at fixing cars. Or making meals. Or parenting teenagers. Further, the gospel frees us to actually ask for and accept wisdom and help from others without taking it as an insult to our own personhood. This is the sensible view of oneself – that we recognize our limitations, and we are secure enough in Christ to recognize the gifts and value of others.

3. Less.

This is a third way we can think of ourselves in light of the gospel – less. As CS Lewis said, Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less often. Not less in terms of value, but simply being freed from thinking of yourself at all.

Self-forgetfulness. That’s the freedom the gospel brings. It’s the freedom from being consumed by your own insecurities, your own desires, your own perceived rights and instead being able to actually love, give, and sacrifice for Jesus and others. It’s only through the gospel that we can come into this freedom because without the firm assurance that Jesus has proven it all, has given it all, has justified it all, and has secured it all we will always revert to a posture of self-protection and self-promotion. Because if we don’t do it for us, then who will?

In the gospel, God will. The glorious truth is that we have a better advocate for ourselves than ourselves. And because we do, we can trust in Him rather than in ourselves.

Regardless of what your number or animal or color is, as a Christian, we can think of ourselves gratefully, sensibly, and ultimately less often. We can do this because of what Jesus has already done on our behalf.