I like people. Being an introvert doesn’t make me rude, isolated, or unfriendly. It simply means I get recharged when I have space to breathe and reflect.
Knowing I need some time away from people doesn’t make me selfish. In fact, knowing and respecting healthy boundaries for myself actually equips me to focus on and serve others more abundantly. My “separate” time isn’t laziness. I am intentional to not retreat from but retreat into. Into a mind, heart, and soul willing to empty myself and let God fill me. After all, only he knows what’s next. He knows the interactions, needs, questions, and issues I will soon face. He knows how to best prepare me.
I don’t wait until I am completely spent then retreat and expect God to immediately fill me. I rely on him to guide me how to spend time and interact with others. I trust him when he says to deeply invest and when he says to move on. I don’t always understand or even like his direction, but I’ve experienced his provision abundantly and know I can trust him.
Whether an introvert or extrovert, let’s not fall into a trap of rationalizing we nearly always or rarely need people. God knows how he created us. He knows what we need. And sometimes we need to be stretched beyond our comfort. Trusting him expresses our love for him.
I used to be an extrovert, but now I’m an introvert. Due to medical conditions in the last 5 years, I don’t socialize much. I like people, but I don’t get energized by them anymore. I prefer to spend time alone. I think it’s possible to go from being an extrovert to an introvert, but I’ve never seen it go the other way with the friends I’ve known. We can’t easily change the personality God gave us.
I liked your post!
Gail
Thanks, Gail. I agree we change over time, or at least we have the capacity to change. Of course, God created us with core tendencies and traits, but as we yield to him and experience his presence and purpose, he prunes away some things and emphasizes others. Growing with him is an exciting but often uncomfortable experience!