What's Justice Got to do With it?

This post is a follow up to my last one, if you haven't read it yet it can be found here.

Okay, now you're all caught up I'll start my next post. My point with the last post was NOT to bash extroverts. Some of my best friends are extroverts and I can't imagine my life without them. The ability to walk into a room and instantly make friends is something to be celebrated. That quality helps many people (even us introverts) feel at ease in new situations.

My purpose in this blog is to suggest that we introverts also have a lot to contribute in both social settings and in leadership opportunities. We, introverts and extroverts, can work together as a team to fill in the gaps with our respective strengths as long as we both acknowledge the other as possessing strengths different from our own.

There is a book called "Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture", I haven't read it yet (its on my list!) but have heard good things and am going to include some quotes in this post. I'm told his book is a must read for, well, introverts in the church. For those who have been told they don't have the right personality for leadership, have believed they don't have the right personality for leadership, or have ever felt they needed to learn to be more extroverted to better fit with the culture it's important to learn these things are not true. Cast away fears and insecurities, learn what makes you "tick" and learn how to flourish as YOU!

We don't need to become more extroverted to be better leaders but those of us who have let fear hold us back do need to learn to push past that fear! I - for a LOT of years - was ruled by fear. I was ruled by the fear that I wasn't good enough, I wasn't worth people's time, I had the "wrong" personality. I spent a lot of time trying to make myself an extrovert. It didn't work, the result was I was being fake with people and I'm sure they could tell! Also, I wore myself out because I thought needing time to myself was a weakness.

So to those of you who have felt out of place, as I have, please check out these quotes from Adam S. McHugh.

"Introverted seekers need introverted evangelists. It's not that extroverts can't communicate the gospel, either verbally or non verbally, in ways introverts find appealing, it's that introverted seekers need to know and see that it's possible to lead the Christian life as themselves. It's imperative for them to understand that becoming a Christian is not tantamount with becoming an extrovert."

"Let God make you fully you. Rejoice in your God-given temperament and use it for God's purposes. This point cannot be emphasized enough. We must be authentic. If we try to be someone we are not, people will see it instantly."

This post was written mostly for the introverts reading it. I want you to feel comfortable in your own skin. Step out and start taking on leadership roles, let your personality shape the form those roles take. But, to you extroverts reading, if you ever have doubted the abilities of your introverted friends please use this as a guide to help encourage the introverts in your life; they can be who they are AND step out in service to God!