Christian perspectives: we are different

April 15, 2015 · 0 Comments

My work has taken me in to many homes through the years and one thing that is very noticeable is how different people are in how they might decorate a room or landscape their property. God has made each one of us in a way that we are different to everyone else. Our likes, our dislikes, our personalities, each of us is different and we can be thankful for that.
We may be different to everyone else when we are born, but it is an interesting study to see how birth order affects our personalities.
An interesting read is the book “The New Birth Order Book” by Dr. Kevin Leman. In his book he brings out the characteristics of someone, depending on where they fall in the family order.
Here are a few brief points taken from this book.
The first born child usually has placed upon him or her the unfulfilled dreams and expectations of the parents. He or she is going to be the person we always wanted to be-the one to bring glory and honor to the family name. You can see that much is expected of the first born the minute he or she sees the first glimpse of light from the outside world. First borns are in a precarious position because they have so many pressures on them but usually do go on to succeed beautifully.
For instance, of the first 23 astronauts the United States sent into space, 21 were first borns. The other two were the only ones in their family. Accountants, engineers, computer programmers, architects, doctors, and attorneys tend to be oldest children. And that is no surprise, because the oldest child is not only an achiever – he or she is ordered, controlled, and very well organized.
They are read to, played with, and encouraged to do things far more than their younger siblings- or at least that’s the general rule.
First borns tend to be very much tuned into adult values and feel more comfortable dealing with adults. They are the ones who enjoy adult conversation and are offended when they are excluded from adult activities. They are achievers, reliable, conscientious, apprehensive, and conservative. He or she is likely to be a perfectionist, a characteristic that is sometimes detrimental to him or her. Are you a first born, or are you married to one? Do you have any children? Does any of this ring true?
And now a look at the middle child. Because most first borns tend to be perfectionistic overachievers, most middle borns are oriented toward the social side of life. Due to their place in the middle, they make very good peacemakers and negotiators. Middle children also tend to make friends easily, and they are loyal. They also tend to take life in stride and to let undue stress roll off their backs like water off a duck’s back. Yet they are tenacious enough that when a problem comes along, they want to dig in and get it settled.
The youngest child in the family tends to get away with the most and he or she is likely to go laughing his way merrily through life. In other words, the last born is not the most responsible, dependable fellow in the world. He or she is likely to appear helpless, manipulative, charming, and very good at getting others to do things for him. They are also likely to be fun-loving and happy-go-lucky people whom others enjoy having around. They don’t mind being the centre of attention. They can usually make up for ignorance with charm.
This is just scratching the surface of this interesting topic and I highly recommend reading the book I mentioned earlier “The New Birth Order Book” by Dr. Kevin Leman. It can add great insight into why we act the way we do or why our children develop certain personalities.
We must not forget that God made us and brought us into the family that is best for us for His reasons. Let us continue to thank Him for all He has done for us.
Jim Rintoul
Bethel Bible Chapel
Shelburne