Are you confident, assertive, and capable? Are you generally uncomfortable with working on a team? Are your heroes rugged
individualists who took life by the horns and bent the world to their will? Are you determined, decisive, and direct? If so, then you may just be a challenger.

Challengers don’t like feeling disempowered, especially when that means others can harm or control them. They prize honesty in relationships, seeking to know what someone really thinks, not just what they want others to see. They tend to have tempers and come across as intimidating. They want to protect themselves and exert influence.

What’s Great about Challengers?

Challengers are natural born leaders. They start companies; they mount expeditions; they captain sports teams. They are awesome because their vision and endless willpower often result in making a lasting mark in the world. They can keep going on a project amid great resistance, drawing strength from an invisible, internal reservoir until they get the job done. They are strong and unintimidated by conflict. They stand up to bullies, playing a protective role to others too weak or too reluctant to stand up for themselves.

As leaders, they can handle responsibility without cracking. They know some will always disagree with decisions they make, and it doesn’t bother them. When they enter a room, everyone notices—the room changes. They are experts on power and can easily spot who has the power in any given situation. This can make them effective dealmakers who don’t waste time developing relationships with those who aren’t decision-makers. Challengers are decisive and unafraid to take risks, giving them the potential to become recognized heroes who do what others will not.

John the Baptist is a good example of a challenger. The little that the Bible records about him is enough to see a powerful man unafraid of critics or risks.

Matthew 3:1, 4–6. In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” … Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Although most of us wouldn’t dare dress up in such an ostentatious way, John had the courage to wear the garb of a prophet, intentionally imitating Elijah. (See 2 Kings 1:8.) Furthermore, his message wasn’t flattering or easy to receive. He preached repentance and threatened that time had grown short. Still, people from all over came to him and changed their lives. John’s ministry was so influential that the societal watchdogs came to see him. His response to them was even bolder.

Matthew 3:7–10. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

One didn’t talk to the Pharisees and Sadducees this way. It just wasn’t done. You showed them respect and honor. They were the experts, teachers, and leaders. Who was this desert dweller to instruct them? In fact, John didn’t just instruct them; he confronted them to change and threatened them with imminent judgment. What boldness!

When he found out that the tetrarch, Herod Antipas, engaged in an unlawful marriage, he spoke out against it publicly.

Mark 6:17–20. For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

True to form, John didn’t back down from speaking truth to power. As many prophets did before him, he confronted the ruler and told him to repent. Even after Herod had him arrested, he continued to speak out boldly. We get the impression from this text that Herod would even go down to John’s cell and listen to him talk. Unintimidated by his situation, John made no effort to bribe the guards, escape, or make peace with Herodias. He faced the situation with courage and without compromise.

Without challengers like John, evil would run rampant. Society needs its heroes to stand up for us and say, “That’s enough.” John initiated a renewal movement in Israel. His clarity of vision and directness in communicating what God wanted from people made him an easy leader to follow. Even Jesus himself submitted to John for baptism in the Jordan River!

The Downside of Challengers

Even if challengers have many important advantages in life, like all personality types, they also face serious disadvantages too. To begin with, challengers prize self-reliance more highly than others. They want to have the resources, influence, and skills necessary to avoid depending on others. This isn’t necessarily problematic, unless it results in egocentric, abusive, or domineering behaviors.

In relationships, challengers face unique struggles connecting emotionally. Oftentimes they are internally closed to others for
fear of getting hurt. When we open ourselves to others emotionally, whether in marriage or in deep friendships, we give power to others. They can hurt us now because we have revealed something of our true self to them. In a family, this fear can lead to major dysfunction and confusion. Probably the most classic example is the husband and father who works hard at his job and succeeds both in climbing the corporate ladder and financially. However, when he comes home, his wife and children complain that he’s never around or that when he is there, he is not present. The family feels emotionally disconnected from him and resentful of his success. (Of course, this could just as easily apply to a wife in today’s world.) In such situations, challengers feel befuddled that their contributions to the family are dismissed so easily, resulting in the temptation to reject them and treat them harshly as a preemptive protection mechanism.

Consider King Rehoboam. His father was the illustrious Solomon whose wisdom, prosperity, and influence were legendary. By the time Rehoboam took over, some of Solomon’s old policies were causing complaints. A delegation came to Rehoboam to ask the new king to lighten their burden.

1 Kings 12:3–5. And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.

Rehoboam asked his father’s old advisers for counsel. They said, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them…then they will be your servants forever” (2 Kings 12:7). Then he asked his peers for their advice. They told him to say, “My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs…I will add to your yoke” (2 Kings 12:10-11). The first course of action required humility and service. He would give up power with the hopes that his subjects would appreciate it and serve him going forward. The second plan involved intimidation—a kind of shock and awe strategy to prove that this new king was to be taken seriously. To a challenger, the second strategy makes better sense, because it demonstrates power, which, in turn, should garner obedience. The conciliatory strategy could result in people thinking Rehoboam was a compromising weakling they could take advantage of whenever they wanted.

Rehoboam went with the display-of-power approach and alienated half of his kingdom, resulting in a succession that split Judah from the northern tribes. After hearing Rehoboam’s harsh position, they concluded, “What portion do we have in David?” They didn’t feel represented in the king, so they said, “To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David” (2 Kings 12:16). Rehoboam misread the situation. Instead of feeling empathy for the plight of the northerners who were chafing under his dad’s policies, he interpreted the negotiation through the lens of power. In seeking to maintain or even extend his power, he lost it altogether. This is typical for challengers whose focus on achieving a goal makes them blind to or dismissive of other people’s feelings. They may execute the strategy flawlessly, but they may also alienate and steamroll everyone around them.

The Gospel for Challengers

Although those of us with different personality types might naively say, “Just stop trying to be in charge all the time,” this is like telling a fish, “Just stop spending so much time in the water.” Challengers are made to lead. The question is not whether they should lead, but how they should lead. Neutering a challenger of all power is not going to result in a healthy and well-adjusted person. The question is, “How can I use power well.”

The answer is to turn to the most powerful being in the universe and learn from Him. God is stronger than Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, wealthier than Elon Musk, and has more fans than Cristiano Ronaldo. One ancient prophet’s description of God’s incredible power invokes natural phenomena like extreme weather and immovable mountains to describe His supreme might.

Nahum 1:3–6. Yahweh is slow to anger and great in power, and Yahweh will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

This is Yahweh. He can control the winds, dry up the seas, wither whole forests, and melt mountains like wax. Nahum asks us,
“Who can stand before his indignation?” Answer: no one. God is supreme; He reigns over all. He is truly independent and radically free. He doesn’t need food, water, or oxygen to survive. He existed before the universe came into being, and He doesn’t depend on anyone or anything outside of Himself for His existence.

He exists. Period.

As a result, it’s no use bargaining with Him, attempting to intimidate Him, or trying to manipulate Him. God knows your external actions as well as your internal thoughts, not to mention your inclinations, genetics, and family history. Challengers can either spend their lives defying God and running away from Him, afraid that submission will result in His controlling them, or they
can recognize God for who He is and serve Him. I recommend the latter since it will provide a better life not only for you, but also for all of those around you. I say this because God is good, and He wants what is good for you. In fact, the very next verse in Nahum’s oracle of doom is as follows:

Nahum 1:7. Yahweh is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

What’s so great about having an ally as powerful as God is that He can protect you in the day of trouble. You can go to Him for refuge when everyone else lets you down, betrays you, or criticizes you.

God is trustworthy and honest. He tells the truth without spin, hidden motives, or trickery. We can see this clearly in the cross. God does not sugarcoat or whitewash humanity’s sins. They are right there for everyone to see. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Romans stand in for all of humanity by falsely accusing, ridiculing, and whipping an innocent man. Throughout the crucifixion narratives in the Gospels, we see the heinous vitriol bound in the human heart on public display. Through his betrayal, arrest, court proceedings, torture, and crucifixion, we see how bad humanity can be. Jesus’ body was a canvas on which we see our own dysfunction, abusiveness, and jealousy painted in many hues of red and crimson. The cross shows the world the bloody and horrible truth about humanity juxtaposed against the absurd generosity and abundance of God’s love manifested in His Son.

Jesus provides the ultimate example of a powerful man who yielded his power to save others—the archetypal hero. He went to the cross voluntarily in full knowledge of their murderous intent. “[H]e humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). From one perspective, Jesus’ death was a tragedy of injustice, disempowerment, and human rights violations. From another, it was a loving and self-sacrificial feat of courage and strength. He stood in for those who could not save themselves. He represented all of us, even though he had never sinned himself.

1 Peter 2:22–24. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Isn’t it surprising that the most powerful being in the universe chose to save us through the suffering of His Son on the cross? He didn’t melt a mountain. He didn’t blow up a planet. He didn’t take control of each person’s will and force us to do what is right. Instead, He sent His Son, a vulnerable and mortal man, to die. That’s how He opened the way for lasting salvation. Through weakness and vulnerability came the ultimate power to save.

I challenge you to be vulnerable with God. By humbling yourself before Him, you can tap into His strength. It’s counterintuitive;
but so is much in Christianity. “The last will be first” (Mat 20:16). “Humble yourselves before God…that…he may exalt you” (1 Pet 5:6). “Whoever would save his life will lose it” (Mark 8:35). The journey upwards begins with going down first. Trust in God. Allow Him a place in your heart.

After Jesus lay in that cold, dark tomb for three days, utterly powerless and defeated, God raised him from the dead. The greatest power is not putting an end to life but bringing someone back to it from the dead. God reversed the humiliation, the physical wounds, and the sting of death itself. Resurrecting His Son was not just an act of love, it was a demonstration of power, prefiguring what He plans to do to all His children on the last day. (See John 6:39, 44, 54.)

Jesus’ resurrection proves that he is the one God has chosen to be King over the Kingdom of God. Although he ascended into heaven after his resurrection, Christ is coming back as a conquering King to rule over the world with the saved.

Are you saved?

Have you cried out to God to forgive your sins? Do you believe God so loved the world that He sent His Son to die as an atoning sacrifice? Do you truly accept that God raised him from the dead, bringing him out of the tomb into resurrected life? If so, then I have some good news for you. Those who have humbled themselves to admit their need and reach up in faith for salvation are precisely the sort of people Christ will be putting in charge in the coming Kingdom. Jesus told stories about his followers ruling over cities in the age to come. (You can read them in Luke 19:11-27 and Matthew 25:14-30.) This bright hope can be yours if you admit your sins to God, ask for forgiveness, and commit to follow Jesus as Lord.

The Challenge for Challengers

Spiritually healthy challengers can mature beyond controlling and intimidating behavior to a more tolerant and collaborative way of life. Mature people are not threatened when someone rejects their advice. They can lead with strength without coercion, listening to reasonable objections and criticisms without taking them personally. Developed challengers can pray the Serenity Prayer:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.¹

This gracious approach to life can revolutionize your work and home relationships. You can’t fix everything. Focus on the things you can change.

Ultimately, the challenge is to become like Jesus. Be powerful, but also compassionate and understanding of others. Be powerful, but also tolerant of those who disagree with you. Be powerful, but also humble, recognizing that you can be wrong sometimes. Be a servant leader, not a domineering one. Be willing to lose power if it’s the godly course of action, rather than holding onto it regardless of the cost. Don’t be a lone wolf. Be like Jesus.

I’m all in, palms out
I’m at your mercy now and I’m ready to begin
I am strong, I am strong, I am strong enough to let you in

I’ma shake the ground with all my might
And I will pull my whole heart up to the surface
For the innocent, for the vulnerable
And I’ll show up on the front lines with a purpose

And I’ll give all I have, I’ll give my blood, give my sweat
An ocean of tears will spill for what is broken
I’m shattered porcelain, glued back together again
Invincible like I’ve never been²

1. Reinhold Niebuhr, see Fred Shapiro, “Commentary: How I Discovered I Was Wrong about the Origin of the Serenity Prayer,” U. S.
   Catholic, May 15, 2014, https://uscatholic.org/news_item/commentary-how-i-discovered-i-was-wrong-about-the-origin-of-the-serenity-prayer/, accessed Sep 6, 2023.[↩]
2. Sleeping at Last, “Eight,” Asteroid B-612, 17 on Atlas: II, March 6,
   2020, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obi4KCh6eHQ.[↩]