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Recently, an online listener sent in the following questions:
Are people either an introvert or an extrovert? Are you one or the other? What was Jesus? Can you be of service to people if you are an introvert?
In the 1920s, psychiatrist Carl Jung coined the terms introvert and extrovert to describe two personality types. The introvert focuses their mental energy inward and turns to their own selves to rejuvenate and recharge, while extroverts focus outward and get their sense of rejuvenation and recharge from others.
Ever since, much has been written about these two personality styles, with multiple subtypes also being described. Theories have been offered about differences in brain circuitry function, life experiences, blood flow patterns, neurochemistry, genetics, and learned responses, but no universally accepted biological explanation has been identified.
But in seeking to understand, the questioner brilliantly pointed to Jesus, inquiring about Him. Was Jesus an introvert or an extrovert?
Jesus was the perfect human who was also the embodiment of God. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19 NKJV). Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9 NIV84). And that Jesus is God who became human (John 1:1–3, 14).
Jesus is God in humanity, and in Jesus we see the outworking, living out, expression, of God’s character of love and truth. Jesus’ love caused Him to focus upon others, on saving, healing, blessing, uplifting, and bringing glory to His Father. Thus, when love and truth called for it, Jesus was extroverted in advancing truth and love (public healings, sermons, miracles of feeding thousands, etc.); but when love and truth called for it, Jesus would be introverted (silent, walk away quietly, etc.).
Jesus was neither introverted in Jung’s definition of turning inward to self to get His rejuvenation and recharge, nor did He behave like a wallflower, nor was He extroverted in seeking His rejuvenation and recharge from people, nor in did He act to be the life of the party.
Instead, Jesus was the perfect manifestation of God’s design for humanity. He sought His rejuvenation and recharge from spending time with His Father, loving His Father with all His heart, mind, soul, and strength. He took time away from others for His recharge with His Father, and then He went forth to minister God’s truth and love to others, acting extroverted in situations where that advanced God’s kingdom and acting introverted in situations where that advanced God’s kingdom.
Jesus was the manifestation of love and truth that glorified His Father and blessed people.
In this world of sin, the inherent spirit of fear and selfishness leads people to try and find peace and comfort—what makes them feel safest and most secure. Introverts and extroverts are what Jung described: insecure people compensating for their inherent spirit of fear, fear of rejection, loneliness, inadequacy, guilt, and shame by their introverted or extroverted persona.
In other words, the introvert is either depending on self in dealing with others, gets exhausted and drained, and turns inward to be alone to recharge and rejuvenate, or they are introverted to avoid anxiety from fear about their sense of inadequacy, fear of making mistakes, of what others will think, embarrassment, etc., and, therefore, withdraws to avoid attention on self. The extrovert, being outspoken, bombastic, entertaining, and funny, does so seeking to get approval from others to compensate for their internal insecurities, fears, and inadequacies.
Jesus calls for everyone, the introvert and the extrovert, to be a conVERT to Him! Jesus pleads for everyone to surrender the life of fear and selfishness inherited from Adam and be reborn with a new spirit, a new heart, with His Spirit of love and trust, and no longer live controlled by the spirit of fear. And then, when our hearts are reborn with a spirit of love and trust, we don’t seek to get our recharge from self or from others, but like Jesus, we daily spend time with Him and our heavenly Father and get our recharge, rejuvenation, animation, motivation, from Him. As the Bible says, the love of Christ compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14).
With this new heart of love, with our minds focused not on self but on Jesus, we seek to bring glory to God in carrying out His purposes in our lives. Therefore, we will be extroverted when that behavior brings glory to God and blesses others, and we will be introverted when we need to be silent and that behavior brings glory to God. But our internal motivation will no longer be fear and insecurity but love and trust in God, for His glory and the blessing of others.
Finally, don’t confuse introversion and extroversion with giftings—some people are gifted with musical, speaking, and leadership skills that will call them to roles that function in a much more “extroverted” appearing way. Others will be gifted with abilities and talents that function much more effectively in the background and appear to be more “introverted.” But the person who is neither, who is like Jesus, will find they will be following the leading of the Holy Spirit, and when circumstances are such that God’s kingdom is advanced most effectively through silence, the speaker, musician, or leader will remain quiet, or like Jesus, quietly slip away. Whereas, when circumstances are such that God’s kingdom is advanced most effectively, the person who typically is fulfilling duties in the background will speak up as they follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
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