As an introvert I often times get into moods, for lack of better term, where I have no desire to see or talk to anyone. They tend to last for several days, even weeks sometimes and all I want is to be alone. For obvious reasons I cannot seclude myself during these times, but must continue on. During these times it would be easy enough to excuse my not proclaiming the truth or not loving others because of my personality. After all, this is just the way God made me, right? Right, except my being introverted does not ever excuse me from making disciples and loving others. For me these two things go hand in hand, for how can I truly disciple anyone unless they first know I love them? And how am I to love them if I do not talk to them? And how am I to talk to them about more serious matters, if I do not first make small talk?
I find I struggle the most with conversing with parents at the daycare I work at. I am just plain awful and am frequently uncomfortable because I lack the skills to make small talk well. I often have to give myself pep talks in the mornings before the parents come in, reminding myself to ask them how their weekend was, or that trip they went on or, whatever other thing I can think to make conversation about. Sometimes, I really do not say much to the parents because fear and awkwardness overtakes me. This is the point, at which, Christ must constantly convict me and remind me to not think of myself. For an introvert small talk can be a cross to bear—one that we must bear.
My point is this, introverts cannot use their personality trait as an excuse to continue behaving in ways that contradict the commands in scripture and do not show love to others. Personally, I would much prefer to turn my head and pretend I didn’t see that person I know on the street, but this is by no means the loving thing to do. I may have to exert much energy to muster up the courage to just say, “Hey, how are you?” but I believe it is what God would have me to do. Those saints who withdrew from the world to fix their minds on the things of above failed to understand the great commission and to truly love other people. However holy they may have been does not matter if they did not have love. “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing,” (I Cor. 13:3).