Forum Summary: Examine the Whole Man
Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.
Evangelist Richard F. Ames spoke in a forum this September.
In this message, he addressed the subject of personality, its complexities, and how it applies to the students as we develop our character during this nine-month program.
He pointed out that although every member of God’s Church is unique, we have the responsibility to develop the character of God within our own personalities (2 Corinthians 13:5). Yet these attributes only shape our character; they don’t alter our personality itself. According to the definition we were given, “Personality is a totality of all your behaviors, attitudes, and characteristics.” With that, Mr. Ames gave different ways we can all make the most of our personalities.
Examine Yourself
“You are unique. Who are you?” Mr. Ames directed us students to truly analyze ourselves. Only by self-examination of your personality can you determine what you presently are, and then truly see your faults. He then gave examples of tools that help with this, such as the Meyers Briggs sixteen personality system that denotes extraversion versus introversion, sensing versus intuition, thinking versus feeling, and perceiving versus judging. Mr. Ames shared his own personality type and examples of the tendencies he showed even as a young man that confirmed that type.
Another resource he recommended was the self-examination questionnaire given to the students of Ambassador College. In years past, students who wished to take part in school-sponsored service projects around the world would complete the form before being accepted into various programs. Mr. Ames then encouraged the students to think about using these tools and deciding what qualities we desire to develop while attending Living Education–Charlotte.
Analyze Positive Examples
The Bible is full of examples of strong personalities, and Mr. Ames pointed out a few of these. Individuals like Paul and Peter stand out as characters of great renown, but the ultimate example we can study is that of Jesus Christ. We need to develop our personality to be well-rounded, as these notable men were, but in our own unique way. Mr. Ames then referred the students to an article written by Dr. Roderick Meredith, “Build the Personality of a King,” as a guide in this process. This article delineates five practical methods we can learn from the Bible for developing our unique personalities.
Develop Your Personality
Mr. Ames outlined these methods, expounding on them as he went.
- Develop outgoing interest and warmth towards others. This is shown by Jesus and defined in the principle “It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35).
- Build zest and humor into your life. We need to make sure we help others enjoy their lives.
- Be patient, compassionate, and modest. Christ exemplified this many times, especially with the compassion He showed to the multitudes (Matthew 9:36).
- Be strong, confident, and courageous. The Bible is full of examples of courage and strength, such as that of the Apostles after they were threatened by the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:17–42).
- Build enthusiasm, drive, and purpose. Mr. Ames said that if we practice all of these methods, we can use the entirety of our personality to be an ambassador for truth and for Christ.
In a post-forum interview, Mr. Ames said that “each student is precious in God’s sight” and that God sees them as the future leaders of the Church. By developing the whole man, as is said in Ecclesiastes 12:13, we can then express godly character by developing our personalities and the qualities of loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Sabrielle McNair is currently one of the student leaders at Living Education. For the majority of her life, Sabrielle lived in Albany, New York. Having grown up in the church, she has been involved in church programs since she was a young girl. Presently, she works as the women’s Resident Assistant, assists in LivingEd event preparations, works in the finance department, and writes for the website.
