ISFJ-Case Study, Mary, the mother of Jesus.

ISFJ PERSONALITY-Case study, Mary the Mother of Jesus.

Case Study- MARY the MOTHER OF JESUS.

ISFJs have been code-named the “DEFENDER”. They are the most considerate and compassionate of all the Myer’s Briggs personalities. This could probably be the reason why Jesus was chosen to be born of one.

They are traditionalists that care about family and friends and genuinely care for their lives and sustainability, they are creatures of routine and habit, and they can be set in their ways since they have strict moral values that they adhere to. Modern-day ISFJs that you might know (personal opinion and prejudice aside) include Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran, Beyonce, and Kim Kardashian.

 Mary the Mother of Christ was definitely not a Kardashian, but they are both defenders of what they believe in through and through. Nobody knows why God selected Mary, but we can give an educated guess that Mary was chosen based on her habits, lineage to David, lifestyle as well as personality. This article is to focus on the personality traits of the ISFJ, seeing why Mary was chosen for a role such as that.

ISFJ BREAKDOWN.

I-Introverted.

S-Sensing.

F-Feeling.

J-Judging.

1.] INTROVERTED.

ISFJs like being in the comfort of their own space and thoughts and like to live life pondering through it. They cannot ponder in the chaos of society and therefore prefer to be alone. They are also very sensitive to external stimulation and prefer to recharge alone.

2.] SENSING. 

 ISFJs have super senses. They see more than the average eye, listen more than what one can hear, and Intuit feelings from others just as easily. These as individuals that make the best human lie detectors, and all the evidence will be collected from you by simply engaging with you in less than a few seconds. They enjoy art and music and were it not for their naturally altruistic side they would have been a tard bit hedonistic, to put it simply.

3.] FEELING.

 ISFJs are compassionate and empathetic because they have a strong feeling ability. They learn how to accept and repel emotions and feelings from others at will. 

It is easy for them to just as easily put on someone’s shoes and slip off of them upon deciding to do so. More often than not, they choose not to get rid of the shoes considering their altruistic nature. 

4.] JUDGING

ISFJs have a very practical approach to life. They form patterns from past happenings and use said patterns to predict how future actions might play out. They are orderly and routine oriented. Spontaneity is just not their forte.

POSITIVE ISFJ TRAITS.

1.] Loyal.

If you ever need a family man or woman, ISFJs should be the top choice. They are loyal and faithful in the relationship and very committed to family. Despite temptations, their duty to you will be absolute, warding off any type of unfaithfulness that might threaten the relationship. Mary was loyal to Joseph even after his death. She was also loyal to the institution of marriage as she managed to retain her virginity until she was married to Joseph. She was also loyal to God as she retained her virginity throughout her pregnancy. She never spoke ill of any of his family members and was always at the forefront in defense of her family. She, unlike many others, was among the few that followed Jesus all through His tribulation unto death, without apology or fear, even when other people were denying Jesus and did not want to be seen following Him.

2.] Hard working.

ISFJs are dutiful. They take work very seriously and would do a job wholeheartedly until it’s complete. They are not procrastinators and are good at keeping their priorities straight. Mary was the same way. She was dutiful and obedient to her aunt Elizabeth, she performed all her wifely duties to her husband Joseph, and her motherly duties to Jesus without fail or question. 

3.] Caring and Warm.

ISFJs have a deep unselfish love for people. They give too much of themselves than they receive. In a world where good people are taken advantage of, some ISFJs might feel the need to suppress this part of themselves even if it is part of their basal design for their preservation but it doesn’t change who they are. They are empathetic to people’s feelings. They share in both pain and pleasure and make excellent confidants. It’s no wonder Jesus and Mary were so close because they shared in everything. Only Mary kept most things to her heart after witnessing Jesus ‘development. She mourned Jesus’ death more than the others as a mother should. This compared to today’s time, is uncommon since children have become accessories to their parents, if not unwanted bother.

4.] Observant.

ISFJs have super senses. The kind that lets them detect everything even before one opens his/her mouth. They make excellent lie detectors, and their empathetic nature is top tier. Mary was a very keenly observant woman. Always watching Jesus, studying Him. Wondering what kind of person He would grow up to be. She knew He was special from how He came through her, but Jesus often acted like a normal child, up until the age of 12 when she started to realize a difference between Him and all the other children. She noticed His wisdom, and His empathetic nature, she could idealize Jesus’ future from the answers He gave when given the 3rd degree. She could also notice the effect Jesus had on the rest of her family. How Joseph never felt father enough for Him. How Jesus’ siblings were different from Jesus Himself and the slight sibling envy that was developing. Her acute observational skills helped her in creating peace in her household as a mother and gave her time to prepare for reactions she could foretell. But she knew that this skill she had would not help Jesus outside her house walls. That’s why she feared so much when Jesus started His ministry at 30 and had to leave her protection.

5.] Imaginative.

ISFJs are natural creatives. They give time to their mind to wonder. They conjure up ideas in their minds and figure out pragmatic ways to bring them to reality. Mary was always in a state of wonder and imagination, especially when dealing with Jesus. She always wondered what kind of leader Jesus would be once He grew up. She always wondered what the reason for Jesus’ coming was. She kept imagining a world with Him and a world without Him all the time. All the things Jesus kept doing in His youth, Mary kept them silent in her heart, always wondering about them as days went on. When Jesus was twelve and had been lost at the temple, the answer Jesus gave them “Didn’t you know that I would be in my Father’s house?”, Or at the wedding in Canaan when Jesus performed His first miracle and turned water into wine after Mary told the servants to do as Jesus said. She wanted to see if what she imagined would come true. And Jesus did not disappoint. It must have been nice having a son like Jesus, especially for a mother with a mind that wonders all the time. For miracles performed by him were beyond her imagination.

NEGATIVE ISFJ TRAITS.

1.] Easily stressed.

ISFJs know how to take care of the emotional needs of others. But their emotional needs are rarely checked because people think that they are already emotionally stable. What they do not know is that ISFJs know how to be strong for others, but it takes a toll on them emotionally to do it. Seeing as they are naturally introverted, they need their alone time to recharge. If they get socially fatigued, they can get a bit irritable. Moreover, ISFJs are creatures of habit and like having an element of control in their lives. Anything that changes routine can easily offset them. That might explain why Mary was flustered when Jesus got lost at the temple at the age of 12 years old. Even though she knew that He was the son of God and He would be taken care of with or without her help.

2.] Too selfless.

ISFJs are just too altruistic for life. They give off of themselves too much that they do not notice sometimes the damage that this might bring to them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Especially if they are emotionally attached or soul-tied (through intercourse) to a narcissist that will take advantage of their natural good nature. This is where they will selflessly give and be battered emotionally without respite. It’s a trail road down to the depression from there. Luckily Mary had God’s favor and found a good man as her husband and had good children.

Otherwise, it would have been a life of emotional struggle for her since she wouldn’t stop herself from taking care of others.

3.] Shy.

Publicity is not their forte especially if they are traditional ISFJs. They do not like attention but like to give others attention. If they should have attention, they will do what they need to do quickly and get it over with. There have been several many instances where this was shown in the Bible. Every time someone commented on how blessed she was for having to bear the son of God, Christ, as Elizabeth (Mary’s aunt) always did she would always direct that attention to Jesus. At the wedding of Canaan when there was a crisis of lack of wine and they came to her, she redirected the attention to Jesus. If money or power was not an incentive for attention as it is today, there is a high chance that most ISFJs would retain this trait. But in a world where confidence pays, it is a trait that many have learned over time to outgrow. 

4.] Resistant to Change.

ISFJs are creatures of habit. They love routine and are inflexible to change. Routine gives them control. Control gives them peace and a sense of living life as it should be for them. Breaking of routine disorients them and can even get them irritable and out of control. Mary always knew that a time would come when Jesus would leave her for His ministry. She saw the signs from way back when Jesus was 12 and identified the temple as “His Father’s house”. She kept that moment in her heart, and she admitted to Jesus that she dreaded the day that He would leave her for the ministry. But because it was what she knew was His reason to come to this world, she would let Him go graciously even though deep down she didn’t want to. 

When Jesus died, she was distraught, a massive change like that nearly drove her mad. But after Mary Magdalene delivered the message that she saw Jesus to her, she calmed down in disbelief. It was then that she understood the power of faith as Jesus kept telling the disciples in her presence that on the third day, He would rise again. Even though she had this prior information, she was still resistant to the idea that she would lose her son. Especially in a manner such as what He had to go through…sheer suffering.

5.] Emotionally unpredictable.

This trait happens rarely but it does show under the right conditions or circumstances. 

As already mentioned, ISFJs value control. They have to be in control so that life makes sense to them, and operations become easier to do. Control is often found in routine and predictability. Change in routine or predictability changes their emotional state from controlled to overwhelmed. When they are overwhelmed, expect anything from them depending on how traumatized this individual has been since childhood. They can go crazy shocking everyone that knew them because they are so used to seeing them in control of their emotions all the time. It was never depicted anywhere Mary lost control, except for when she mourned Jesus’ death. A mother losing her firstborn and arguably the most beloved child in a publicized, humiliating, and painfully slow manner like that must have nearly driven her insane. Thankfully, her sanity recovered once she saw her Son again in the flesh before He ascended into heaven.

BOTTOM LINE.

Remember the Gospel.

God loves us, but He is not crazy about us.
We are wallowing in our own sin for which we have no savior.
We should always repent and believe in the sacrifice of our God, Jesus Christ who was sent by God the
father to die for our sins, so we might get to have eternal life. [JOHN 3:16]