But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. (1 Corinthians 12:18)

For years I thought extroverts liked people and introverts didn’t. But this explanation never sat well with me. I knew I was an introvert, but I also knew I enjoyed people. Just not lots of them – all at once – for a long time.

But a better explanation of introverts and extroverts is this: introverts recharge by spending time alone, extroverts gain energy from spending time with others.

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, described the beauty and diversity of the members of the church. By comparing the church to a human body, he detailed how God created each part – just so – to fulfill a unique purpose. Recognizing our personality differences as part of God’s plan to reach the world helps us respect and value each other more.

ONE STEP CLOSER

• Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
• What about your spouse?
• Have you ever identified your personality type based on how you recharge?
• Does this change how you view your spouse’s needs when it comes to social events and family gatherings?

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 below, and celebrate God’s good plan in creating introverts, extroverts, and everyone in between.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.