A pilgrimage

A pilgrimage - 

...Most of all, do not be too quick to denounce your sufferings. The difficult road you are called to walk may, in fact be your only path to success."

Richard Paul Evans, A Winter Dream.

It seems appropriate at time in life to undertake some sort of ‘self-assessment’ a bit of self-profiling if you will. Scripture tells us –

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, wonderful are your works,” 

Psalm 139:14 A one off!

“So, God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

Regardless of what anyone else may think of us, we are every one of us, uniquely and perfectly made, in the image of God! Think about that!

One weekend in the Spring of 2002 I, with the Oxford and St Albans Ministry Course, my fellow pre-ordinands in training, undertook a Myers Briggs personality or type indicator test.

Favourite world: Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner world? This is called Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I).

Information: Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning? This is called Sensing (S) or Intuition (N).

Decisions: When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency or first look at the people and special circumstances? This is called Thinking (T) or Feeling (F).

Structure: In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is called Judging (not judgemental) (J) or Perceiving (P)                                                     Myers Briggs

At the time my four personality traits were represented by the letters, ISTJ

Introversion + Sensing + Thinking + Judging

Quietly systematic. Factual. Organised. Logical. Detailed. Conscientious. Analytical. Responsible. Pragmatic. Critical. Conservative. Decisive. Stable. Concrete. Efficient.

So as I embark on this time within my Sabbatical, I decided to take a similar test, and whilst not Myers Briggs it followed the same logic and surprise surprise my 4 letters - ISTJ

So what are ISTJs like?

ISTJs are responsible organizers, driven to create and enforce order within systems and institutions. They are neat and orderly, inside and out, and tend to have a procedure for everything they do. Reliable and dutiful, they want to uphold tradition and follow regulations and are steady, productive contributors.

Although they are Introverted, ISTJs are rarely isolated; typical ISTJs know just where they belong in life and want to understand how they can participate in established organizations and systems. They concern themselves with maintaining the social order and making sure that standards are met.

As do other Introverted thinkers, ISTJs often give the initial impression of being aloof and perhaps somewhat cold. Effusive expression of emotional warmth is not something that ISTJs do without considerable energy loss.

ISTJs are easily frustrated by the inconsistencies of others, especially when the second parties don't keep their commitments. But they usually keep their feelings to themselves unless they are asked, and when asked, they don't mince words. Truth wins out over tact. The grim determination of the ISTJ vindicates itself in officiation of sports events, judiciary functions, or a situation which requires making tough calls and sticking to them.  

2 Corinthians 5:16 From now on, therefore we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 

Or as Charles Wesley penned - 

Finish then, thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be.... 

So in a little less than a week now, I shall we taking my Pilgrimage Walk along the St Cuthbert Way, using the time and space in Holy Footsteps - 

Isaiah 64:8

"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, 

and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

 So now you know a little about me – and what makes me tick - and why some situations just don't work for me. The question is, what can I do about that?

The work of the Holy Spirit may come to our aid!

2 Corinthians 3:18 and the work of the Holy Spirit may offer some help - God produces Christ likeness in us by His Holy Spirit, we cannot do it ourselves.

"And all of us with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit."

John Wesley is clear too on this - "There are two doctrines which I regard as fundamental to Christianity. They are the doctrine of justification and the doctrine of new birth"