Churches are offering congregants personality tests to help determine their gifts

Some churches are offering their congregation personality tests in order to determine their gifts, for helping in church, as well as more widely in life. But are personality tests actually biblical?

As an ex-new ager I have a strong conviction not to do any kind of personality test. It came after reflecting on the way that labels; such as star signs or ‘human design’ (another new age modality) can lead us to focus more on self, and less on others. It also tends to limit us, and put us in a box.

I also discovered that the Enneagram, which is used in some church circles, has occult roots.

I also discovered that the Enneagram, which is used in some church circles, has occult roots. It was created by Claudio Naranjo, a Chilean psychiatrist and spiritual teacher, who was given the idea for the Enneagram by a spirit during automatic writing - a process where people use writing as a way to open up to the spirit world, and receive information.

The Myers Briggs test also has questionable origins. It is based on the work of Carl Jung who was an occultist. Jung’s work is actually where the concept of introversion, and extraversion come from, and his psychological types are inspired by his spiritual ideas.

DISC is a popular test used within churches, but even this one, which looks ‘secular’ and ‘psychological’ raises spiritual alarm bells for me.

DISC is a popular test used within churches, but even this one, which looks ‘secular’ and ‘psychological’ raises spiritual alarm bells for me. The founder of the test, William Moulton Marsden, also created the original comic Wonder Woman. Marsden based Wonder Woman on Margaret Sanger, the American feminist and founder of Planned Parenthood. Marsden lived in a menage a trois with two women, one of whom was Sanger’s niece. It’s a little known fact that many first wave feminists such as Sanger were spiritualists, and members of societies such as the Theosophical society, and the Rosicrucian. They rejected Christianity in favour of Gnostic beliefs about seeking the ‘god within.’

The original Wonder Woman comic has BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism) themes and also draws on Greek mythology. I can’t help wondering what Marsden himself believed, and feeling deep unease at his creation being used in churches.

I have often felt that there is a spiritual aspect to creativity; the way ideas pop into our minds, as if from nowhere. I remember listening to the testimony of Joe Schimmel, a Christian who was involved in new age practices as a teenager. He wrote rock songs about how he loved rock n’roll so much he would give his family to the devil. At the time he thought it was just a bit of fun. However during an episode of sleep paralysis he called out in fear to Jesus. He realised upon reflection that his creative ideas had come from the devil/demons.

We live in a spiritual world, and if someone is not following God, then it’s possible that their ideas could come from negative sources. Satan masquerades as an angel of light, and just because a test looks good to human eyes, doesn’t mean it’s spiritually healthy. Regardless of the roots of personality tests, and what is known or unknown about the inspiration behind the tests, there are enough problems with the tests themselves. Personality tests can lead us to form man made identity of labels, when actually our identity should be in Christ. Tests can also be used as a reason to excuse sin. For example, For example, ‘I can’t help that person, or share the Gospel with that stranger because I’m an introvert.’

God’s ways are not our ways and I can’t help but wonder, if humans had given personality tests to Moses or Paul, would they have been assigned the roles that God chose? Moses was described as the meekest person on earth (Numbers 12.3), so in human eyes he might not have been a likely candidate. While humans have strengths, it’s in our weakness that God works. As Paul is told by God when he asks for the thorn in his side to be removed, ‘my grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Corinthians 12:9).

What if we spend the time we might spend on a test, seeking God’s guidance about our gifts, and where our role is in the church? He might just surprise us.