The Bright Side and Dark Side of Intuition

*Heads up, I will not be addressing these in order because I want my thoughts to be clear and research to be insightful and for that to happen, I need to follow the flow of what components of the INFJ personality type that I feel drawn to dig into. Currently, as I learn more about myself and learn how to properly listen to my own intuition and balance how to manage being intuitive in relationships and not always make decisions in life based on it, I felt drawn to start with digging deeper into what being intuitive is and see what the Bible has to say about it. *

The “N” of INFJ. 

Intuition. A word that maybe you’ve heard many times. We may use it when talking about a feeling we had when we met someone, when we went for a job interview, when a friend came to us and sought advice or shared a situation or it may just be something we feel upon being in a certain environment. 

The official definition of intuition is: “a natural ability or power that makes it possible to know something without any proof or evidence: a feeling that guides a person to act a certain way without fully understanding why.” (Britannica dictionary)

To some degree, we all have intuition. We meet a person or go to a place and just get a certain “feeling”. The feeling guides us on how to approach the person or act in the place subconsciously. Meaning, we don’t even think about it, we just respond. For example, if you’re walking in a city at night alone and the street you’re about to turn down looks a bit dodgy, you may think to yourself, you know what let’s go a different direction. It’s the feeling you get when someone in the train station approaches you for money and says their child is sick so you decline and wish them well. You know well enough they likely do not have a sick child that they need money for.

Those with the “N” in their Myers Briggs type have an extra dose of it in their thought processing more than others. So that means not just the INFJ but the INFP, INTP, INTJ, ENTP, ENFJ, ENTP, ENTJ, ENFP carry this trait as well. 

When we come to know Jesus as our Savior, we are given the Holy Spirit (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit is there to guide us, direct us and give us wisdom when we lack it. Essentially, the Holy Spirit exists to give all of us the gift of discernment whether we have “N” in our personality type or not. Pretty cool right?

So let’s look a little bit more into how the Gospel can draw an “intuitive” to go against the grain of how someone who’s intuitive may act. 

The bright side of being naturally intuitive, is that you’re typically pretty street smart, you know how to act in certain situations, you are cautious of what to say or not to say. Cautious of who to trust and who not to trust. When friends seek advice or vent, you are able to say the right thing or have a weird sense of what they need at that moment. Sometimes, you will still get it wrong but most of the time, you can't explain it, you just do in how you give them space to feel what they need to. It’s a pretty cool thing. 

    However, there are downsides to being intuitive. It can create a wedge in your relationships because you’re biting your tongue on insight you want to give a friend about themselves based on conversations you both have had or things you've noticed or their situation because you know it’s not your place to. You feel guilty when you can easily tell who’s fake in group settings and who’s not which then has you judgmental toward someone who is faking niceness or trustworthiness. You are overly cautious in most relationships. And unfortunately, while sometimes gut reactions lead to good decisions, sometimes the better way is to think through things carefully and you learn that the hard way sometimes. 

    For example, I would love to move out West or Midwest and live near the mountains. I would love to work with kids with special needs out there or even do ministry full-time again and on the side have enough time and money to be able to really put forth more time into my creative endeavors. I would at the drop of hat if given the opportunity, pack my bags and head West. However, I would miss my family and friends far too much. The reality of starting in a new place while at times seems more alluring and freeing can be very difficult and I’ve never moved anywhere not knowing anyone apart from going to college in Lancaster, PA which was only an hour from home. While yes, I didn’t know my team members yet while I was with Serge in Ireland serving in ministry full-time, I knew I had a team at least waiting for me with people I could get connected to when I moved there for a couple of years. Not to mention, leaving the mission field and moving back home right before that good ole’ pandemic hit, will really have you financially in a bind of back to building up what you lost. Moving somewhere new while living life paycheck to paycheck, mmmm probably not in my best interest right now. 

    The logical part of my brain reminds me to take a moment and pause instead of jumping in and looking for a job in Utah, Washington, Colorado, Arizona or even North Carolina even though my gut reaction says, “I need to be in a beautiful space to thrive! I do well when I open my mind to new experiences and opportunities in prettier places, I need adventure! I miss full-time ministry.” I have strong feelings about making that type of decision. I feel like a bird trapped in a cage sometimes in PA, I connect better with God when I look at the mountains but I know now is not the time. 

    We need both intuition and logic. We can’t have one and not the other. But what more does God say about intuition? Let’s take a look

    While yes God gives us the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us, the danger of relying on our intuition to assess others based on their actions, words and body language, is that in 1 Corinthians 2:11, it says that “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” 

    Only God truly knows someone’s heart. We need to remember this when using discernment about others. We can be cautious if we feel we should but we shouldn’t be quick to judge where someone is at with God based on what we see and hear. While yes, there should be evidence of fruit in one’s life, if they have the Holy Spirit, at the end of the day only God truly knows one’s heart. God knows if the fruit one is bearing is for an applause and a show or is out of true genuine walking in step with the Spirit. 

    In addition to this, we are advised in the scriptures to make decisions based on godly counsel rather than our “gut feelings”. This is where logic and intuition can work together as a team. Proverbs 12:15 states, "the way of a fool is right in his own opinion but the one who listens to advice is wise". Intuitive people need people around them to guide them they cannot always rely on their own intuition because even if they have a "gut feeling", they still need counsel and outside perspectives. Preferably, those who think more logically at times.

    Often the things I encountered online over the years, doted on INFJ's for their intuition leading them, for being known for having wisdom and the one that everyone can go to. Yet there were few resources that shared that just because someone's intuitive doesn't mean that they too shouldn't seek counsel and guidance. The Gospel is counter cultural to what it means to be intuitive. Intuition can lead someone to believe that they can rely on themselves and their opinions yet if someone is following Christ, that is not the case. In fact, it's the complete opposite. If one is following Christ, then they cannot rely on themselves. They need Jesus, wisdom from the God's Word and the wisdom of other believers to guide them.

Alright next up will be "introversion" and I'll dig into what the Bible has to say about it.

I'll probably edit this overtime as I come across any verses that better explain that last paragraph but I've hit writer's wall for today and am experimenting with posting things even if I don't know if what I'm saying is complete yet.

Have a great weekend!

-Amy