God Knows the Difference

Today all of our staff attended a workshop on handling people with diplomacy and tact. One topic that we spent a great deal of time on was personality differences. The instructor discussed four basic personalities, and the characterstics of each. Then we discovered how to interact with each different personality.

To no one's surprise, in order to effectively communicate with others, you have to approach different personalities in different ways. While some can handle direct criticism, others need it tempered with some praise. Some may need a listening ear, while others need the social aspect of talking. Some act out when they're upset, and some withdraw. The key to effective communication is figuring out the personality type of the person you're talking to and acting appropriately.

I'm reminded that God, who created us and knows us inside and out, knows not only our physical attributes but our personalities as well. He knows how to perfectly relate to each one of us, and those ways of relating vary from person to person. While I can be deeply moved by a gorgeous sunset or a beautiful song, you may be more inclined to relate to Scripture or a movie.

We are each uniquely formed, and we each have differing desires and needs and dreams. The funny thing is that what is good for one of us is not necessarily good for all of us. And yet we can easily become jealous or frustrated when we see that someone else has something that we want, something that we think we should also have. We may not realize that whatever that something is may not be what's best for us, or perhaps it's just not the time to have it.

I'm trying to learn to stop comparing myself and my life to others, and to trust that wherever I am in life right now is God's best for me. What's good for you may not be good for me, and vice versa. God knows the differences in each of us, and He knows exactly what we need, when we need it.