What a Personality Test Taught Me About Myself

When I was in college one of our assignments was to take the Do What You Are personality test.

When the results came back, I did what most people do.

I copied and pasted the description and shared it online.

At the time it just felt like a fun class assignment.

But the response I got surprised me.

Friends and family immediately started commenting:

“Wow… that is so you.”
“That nailed it.”
“That describes you perfectly.”

Apparently the test had pegged me pretty well.

Here’s part of what it said:

People like you are warm, friendly, and talkative. You are enthusiastic and energetic and love being around people and activity.

You are expressive and affectionate with friends and family and often one of the first people to volunteer to help others.

Relationships matter deeply to you, and you work hard to please others and maintain harmony.

You have strong values, take responsibility seriously, and prefer clear expectations.

You tend to be practical, organized, and steady in your work—moving through tasks carefully and efficiently.

When I read it back then, I remember thinking,

Okay… that actually sounds pretty accurate.

But there was also another part of the description that stood out.

It mentioned that people with this personality type sometimes take criticism personally and may struggle to speak up when hurt, choosing instead to withdraw.

That part stung a little.

Because if I’m honest… that one felt accurate too.

Personality Can Describe Us — But It Doesn't Define Us

Personality tests can be interesting.

They help us notice patterns in how we think, respond, and interact with others.

They can even give us helpful language to understand our strengths and weaknesses.

But here’s something I’ve learned in the years since I took that test:

Personality profiles may describe us, but they do not define us.

God does.

And the truth is, the world loves to put people in boxes.

Extrovert.
Introvert.
Leader.
Helper.
Type A.
Type B.

While those labels may explain some tendencies, they can never fully capture who we are.

Because our identity was never meant to be rooted in a personality category.

Our identity is rooted in Christ.

What God Says About Who We Are

Scripture speaks far more powerfully about who we are than any personality test ever could.

God says:

We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).

We are His workmanship, created for good works (Ephesians 2:10).

We are chosen, loved, and called His own (1 Peter 2:9).

That means the traits we carry — compassion, leadership, creativity, diligence, sensitivity — aren’t random personality quirks.

They are pieces of how God wired us to serve Him and love others.

Even the parts that feel like weaknesses can become places where God grows us.

For example:

If you are compassionate, God may use you to care deeply for people others overlook.

If you are organized and steady, God may use you to bring stability and structure where it’s needed.

If you are sensitive to criticism, God may use that sensitivity to grow humility and emotional awareness.

The key is remembering that our personality is a tool in God’s hands — not our identity.

Designed On Purpose

Looking back now, I see that personality test differently than I did several years ago.

Yes, it described some of my tendencies.

But it didn’t describe the most important truth about me.

The most important truth is this:

I am a daughter of God.

Created intentionally.
Shaped with purpose.
Called to reflect Him in the way He uniquely designed me.

And the same is true for you.

Your personality isn’t an accident.

The way you think.
The way you feel.
The way you care about people.

God designed those things with purpose.

The question isn’t whether your personality fits a category.

The question is:

Are you allowing God to use the way He wired you for His glory?

Because when we surrender who we are to Him, even our natural tendencies become tools in His hands.

And that’s far more powerful than any personality test result.

Anchored in Identity

If you want to go deeper into understanding your identity in Christ, I highly recommend reading a blog written by Catherine Johnson, M.Ed., LPC-Associate at Watershed Counseling Center called “Anchored in Identity.”

I had the opportunity to hear Catherine speak at a women’s conference earlier this year, and one sentence she shared stopped me in my tracks:

“Identity is something that cannot be taken from you.”

That truth has stayed with me.

Because the reality is, the world often tries to define us with labels. Personality types. Titles. Achievements. Failures. Roles.

But Catherine explained something so powerful.

The world doesn’t really know who we are because it doesn’t know God.

So it assigns labels instead.

Scripture tells a completely different story.

1 John 3:1 says:

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

That means our identity isn’t something we earn.

It isn’t something people can give us.

And it isn’t something circumstances can take away.

It comes from God.

Which means this truth will always stand:

I am a daughter of the King.

And that cannot be taken from me.

If you're exploring what Scripture says about your identity, you may also enjoy this devotional: Don't Borrow Tomorrow’s Troubles.