I'm Half King David, Who Was An INFP Like Myself
The following transcript was taken from a conversation Jesus had with me on Jan. 7, 2021. So keep in mind what Jesus told me as you read the rest of this post:
Gail, 4:29 PM I get it. You once told me that it’s hard to explain the concept of eternity to mortals cuz it’s some very advanced physics, I think. Is my emotional IQ higher than Satan’s? This might do wonders for my self-image. Or maybe not. Satan’s pretty smart. But then with such a high emotional IQ, I would feel more is expected of me.
Jesus Christ, 4:31 PM “You know… It’s true yours is higher. But the best answer is. That doesn’t matter.” “Your emotional IQ is just one little part of you.” “Just like how your personality type is just a rough categorization that is fun for people to use. It should never replace or get in the way of appreciating who you really are.”
Gail, 4:34 PM I guess if I had to categorize me, I should say I have the heart of King David raised by a narcissist.
Jesus Christ, 4:34 PM “I was eventually going to tell you this. That the personality profile is more of a fun toy. It can’t tell you who you are.”
Gail, 4:35 PM With my high I.Q. I’m probably very complex and can’t be categorized.
Jesus Christ, 4:35 PM “It would really be sad if you could reduce everyone down to only one of 16 possible personalities.”
Gail, 4:35 PM That’s true. You once said I’m like little David before he sinned with Uriah the Hittite.
Jesus Christ, 4:36 PM “I would categorize you as Gail.” “You have infinitely many details. Any categorization is just to try and highlight some wonderful feature.”
Here is how I rule as an INFP with a King David/Catherine the Great genetic profile: https://gabriellechana.blog/2019/06/10/to-hell-with-her-reputation-empress-gail-saves-the-world/
The INFP Personality Type: https://www.truity.com/personality-type/INFP
Here is an interesting opinion from https://www.quora.com/profile/Bhaskar-Rana-5. . .King David was one of the most virtuous kings of all time. He was a good and kind hearted king. Judging from his story and legacy, I would say he was an INFP. In fact most of the INFPs consider him INFP too.
INFP: David (https://personalityandprayer.wordpress.com/2019/02/02/mbti-and-the-bible/) – David was my first pick for an INFP. INFP’s are idealistic, creative, and loyal. young David to King David transitioned a great amount and grew closer to God through all of the struggles and pain he went through. Although I see David specifically as an INFP, especially through his poetry and yearning for Christ, I selected 1 Samuel 17 as this week’s read. This story is to encourage my INFP’s to stand up to the bully or pursue your dreams even if others tell you they are too big. INFP’s, do not stop dreaming!
Wow! I actually found an article that explains why I’m an INFP. I am literally half King David and why I’m such a great Empress and President. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Every time I take the Myers-Brigg’s test I’m an INFP! I am also literally half King David and half Catherine the Great. But I think my leadership style is more King David.
King David the INFP— Inside the Heart of the Legendary Warrior and Poet
Derek Sinclair Follow Jan 2, 2017 · 10 min read
An MBTI Analysis of the Rise and Fall of Ancient Israel’s Beloved Psalmist
Princess Diana, John Lennon, William Shakespeare: easily recognizable names of those labeled as INFP, according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The list goes on, including other artists, writers, and activists. But are there others who typically go under the radar?
Meet King David, one of the most famous characters of the Old Testament. His legendary status in the Jewish and Christian faith precedes him, as he is the central figure upon whom God grants favor to rule his kingdom and through whom blesses Israel. He is known for his great military conquests and feats of strategy, becoming the most successful and one of the wealthiest of all Israel’s kings.
But who would guess that underneath the hardened battle armor was a man who penned over half of the book of Psalms, a collection of poetry, lamentation and praise? David moves the biblical reader and historian not by his achievements as a king, but by his tenderness, softness of heart, child-like faith and fiery passion.
This article is written to argue that the character of David revealed in the biblical text reflects the INFP profile as described by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The following will outline a few highlights of David’s life while psychoanalyzing them from the MBTI perspective.
INFP TYPE PROFILE
Much has been written about the classic INFP profile. They are considered one of the most empathetic types, having an ability to reach a depth of emotion and care other types cannot even fathom. One of the main attributes that drives this type is the quest for meaning: the existential question of their lives continually fuels their search for real significance and value on this side of eternity. This continual hunger for truth and beauty must line up with the INFP’s desire for internal harmony. Without these in place, the classic INFP suffers immensely. Their interpretation of harmony revolves around their values. If an INFP settles for anything less than what their belief system mandates, then disharmony sets in. The potential for stress, anxiety and fear is great for the INFP who cannot possibly live a perfect life. They exist with an idealistic view, constantly peering forward to what could possibly be, yet dwelling on past events, scrutinizing every moralistic choice and the outcomes of their decisions.
David, The Drama King
There is no other person in biblical literature who was more beloved than King David, the shepherd boy from the town of Bethlehem. He alone has more written about him in the sixty-six book cannon than any other biblical figure.
More than Moses, Paul the Apostle and even Jesus himself!
But what would a great character be without some serious character flaws? In fact, David has more sins documented in the bible compared to any other character. It is relatively easy to demonstrate how stressful situations caused David to act erratically in typical INFP behavior.
When one reviews his many moral failures, it is difficult to see how God could have been so fond of such a flawed person! However, as we break down some of David’s low points in life, we will reach deeper into the soul of the man who was after God’s own heart.
Running After God’s Own Heart
From his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to the kingship of an imperial kingdom, David’s life is thoroughly documented in the Books of 1st and 2nd Samuel. Not only do they display his courageous achievements, such as his stunning defeat of the Philistine warrior Goliath; they also showcase his incredible sensitivity and raw humanity, such as his infamous infidelity with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband, Uriah. However, within the peaks and valleys of his tumultuous life, the reader gazes into the heart and mind of one of Israel’s most beloved characters and gets to glimpse at the soul of a man who was chosen by God to rule the nation of Israel. The story of David’s life reveals both the weakness and frailty of the human heart but also exemplifies the grace and mercy of God.
The Overlooked Boy VS The People’s Choice
What caused God to choose a young, wide eyed shepherd boy to be the next king of Israel? Why did God pass up on his six foot tall, broad-shouldered, battle-hardened brothers and instead pick the youngest, inexperienced, and overlooked kid in the field? What did God see in this small boy that he treasured above all other characteristics?
These questions are undoubtedly the same ones that David would ask himself over the course of his lifetime. The youngest of seven children born to Jesse, he spent the majority of his youth in the sheep fields on the hills of Bethlehem. Unbeknownst to him, the nation’s top prophet of the day, Samuel, would be heading directly to his home on heavenly orders from God to find the next king of Israel. As the Jesse and his family welcomed the prophet Samuel and prepared a celebratory meal, young David remained oblivious and unaware in the field, most likely gazing in wonder at the stars, strumming his lyre and singing softly to his sheep.
Sheeping, Harping, and Star Gazing
Can you imagine the most important person in your country (i.e. the President) coming to your home town and having your family tell you to go outside and do yard work all day? This was the attitude of Jesse and his sons, who overlooked David and sent him away. But David felt at home on the sheep pastures, spending hours alone with only herds of sheep to keep him company. He most likely spent long hours on the hillsides, honing his skills as a musician and practicing his psalm-writing skills.
The Anointing of David
Samuel looked upon each son of Jesse, sizing them up from head to foot, confident that one of these men was the handpicked of God, the next King of Israel.
But as the story goes, God whispered into Samuel’s ear, “Don’t be swayed by their tall stature and muscular frames. People judge by looking at the outward appearance, but I look at the contents of the heart.”
This revolutionary quote struck Samuel with clarity as he asked Jesse “are these all your children?” Jesse responded, “no, I have another son, David, who is attending the sheep.” When David was summoned, Samuel immediately took his ram’s horn full of oil and poured it over David, effectively anointing him King in front of his envious brothers.
An Idealist Living in a Realist’s World
In a world riddled with imperfections, mistakes and disappointments, David longed for a space in time where the perfections of God would be fully realized. He spent long hours meditating on God’s word and peering towards the future of the Kingdom of God, when the righteous and pure would inherit the land and the ungodly would perish in their sins.
His psalms are chalk-full of references to the Millennial Kingdom, a time when the Messiah would establish order, truth and righteousness in all the earth. It would be a time when sin, death and evil would be vanquished completely and justice would reign.
David cried out helplessly in the psalms, knowing the great evil in the hearts of the men around him. His tears were mixed with anguish at the thoughts of unjust men speaking evil in their hearts and committing abominations.
Although no one is exempt from sin, David had a deep sense of idealism that pervaded his writings. When reading through his psalms, one can sense that desire for purity and goodness.
Romantically Inclined and Passionately Divine
If David could be summed up in one word, the word would be passion. David was a man of passion, a romantic lover of God who gave himself deeply to the pursuit of God’s heart.
Out of almost every person of the Old Testament, David had a unique view of the character of God.
He viewed God not as a boastful, wrathful, domineering God who commanded his servants about like slaved.
David’s revelation of God was one of love, mercy and grace.
He viewed God as one who absolutely enjoyed his creation, and wanted nothing more than to be in a relationship with His people. He wrote in the psalms that he was the “beloved of God” and that he was the “apple of God’s eye” and that God “delights in me”.
The average biblical reader would ponder how such a man could say these things! After all, wasn’t David a sinner? Didn’t he mess up all the time? Why and how could God love a man with such a bad track record? How could David see himself as such a saint?
This revelation of God’s heart is the backbone of the doctrines of Christianity, the very foundation of who God is. The fact that God loved David so dearly is the chief reason why David pursued God so fervently. The goodness of God’s love was the flame that kept David’s heart on fire as he would come back again and again to the place of prayer and worship. He spent long hours in the house of God, offering up songs of praise and worship. He is the only man in the bible who is recorded to have been a “man after god’s own heart” (Acts 10).
Master Poet and Sweet Psalmist
Throughout the psalms, David reveals his brokenness, sincerity and longing for the presence of God. He truly lived to please the one he loved.
As a psalmist, David is believed to have penned at least 2/3 of the Book of Psalms. This book of the bible records a history of songs, lamentations and praises from multiple authors. In it, we see the vulnerability of David’s heart. Within these psalms are both the shouts of triumphant joy over the righteousness and faithfulness of God but also the deep pain, perplexity and honest bewilderment in the face of loss, betrayal and fear.
In perhaps the most famous psalm of all, the 23rd, the Lord is depicted as a shepherd who carefully protects and guides his sheep. It displays the peace of God that David relied on for strength. In other psalms such as Psalm 42, David compared his desire for the presence of God to the panting of a deer for the water brook; it is something essential for survival and well-being. If one casually flipped through and scanned these poems, it would be easy to see the breadth of emotional content. The INFP is easily led by their emotions and less by rational process of thought.
Champion of the Underdog/Warrior/Activist
In perhaps David’s most famous conquest, the battle with Goliath, the giant, exemplifies his INFP qualities of holding ferociously to inner convictions and championing the cause of the underdog. When the Philistine army came to town, they challenged the Israelites to battle by sending for their towering giant of a warrior. It is written that Goliath was over nine feet tall, a ridiculous height even by modern standards!
At this point in time, David was still a teenage boy belting out ballads on the backside of some hill in Bethlehem. But when word came that Goliath was cursing the armies of the one true God, something lit up inside David’s belly that set him on a one-way course towards the Philistine army. He took a well rounded stone and slung it at the forehead of the giant, effectively killing him. And to top it all off, he took Goliath’s sword and beheaded the guy on the spot! Talk about zeal for the house of God!
The Boldness of the Faithful
David was convinced that the armies of Israel had God Almighty on their side so he did not fear the voice of his enemy. What an army of battle hardened soldiers could not accomplish, David did with a mere sling. He was instantly catapulted into stardom. The INFP lives for their personal cause, whatever it may be. They utilize their deep empathy to fuel themselves into action for the betterment of those around them. But even with the immediate and immense fame and glory, David did not grow boastful. He had one of the most humble hearts in the entire biblical record. The record says he continued to serve underneath the current King of Israel and maintained a perfect record.
Compassion Triumphs All
Not only was David a man of passion; he was also a man of compassion. He had an innate ability to empathize with others on a deep intuitive level that is recorded again and again in the bible.
One of the most famous examples is when David was on the run from King Saul, the paranoid ruler of Israel who was hell-bent on murdering his former employee, David. While searching out the wilderness for David, Saul stepped into a nearby cave to relieve himself. Unbeknownst to him, David and his posse were also hiding out in the same cave. And while all his friends egged him on to finish Saul and take his rightful place as the heir to the throne, David refused. He didn’t believe in senseless killing. He didn’t believe that he should be the one to take Saul’s life, even though he had every right.
Again,the opportunity came up for David to finish off Saul while he slept. And you know what David did? He passed on the opportunity. Again, he showed an incredible amount of mercy and compassion for his enemy and former friend. Even Saul had to admit that David was a better man than he.
INFP — the Virtuous and Just Soul
All MBTI types have the natural ability and potential to tap into the raw humanity of life. But the INFP lives in that mystical arena of life and death, of passion and pleasure, of the cosmic collective. They live by their deeply ingrained standards of purity, authenticity and empathy.
Kind David is a shining example of a historical, literary, and religious figure who embodied the characteristics of the INFP to the utmost degree. His vulnerability in his darkest moments to his pursuit and adherence of truth and justice show us the depths of the human soul. David is a model to all who’ve made mistakes in their lives; a redeemed and refined man, the epitome of what it means to struggle to exist in an imperfect world.