Casey Bankord
By Ashley Andrews, 700 Club Interactive
CBN.com –Not all of us our called to be the Moses or Abraham of our time, and I think that most of us could agree with that theory. But authors Eric Parks and Casey Bankord believe that every person is unique and that no one is called to be the same as another. And in their new book Frequency, Eric and Casey encourage readers to discover their own unique identity and personality.
A BILLION PEOPLE = A BILLION FREQUENCIES
"No two people are the same," they write. "There are approximately 6.84 billion people alive today. Isn't it hard to believe that there isn't one person who looks exactly like another? And when you take personalities, traits, IQ, and DNA into account, the disparities grows even larger. There is not one person on the planet who has the same fingerprint as you." Likewise, Eric and Casey assert that God speaks to each of us differently - at our own frequency. As they both point out, John Ortberg, author of The Me I Want to Be, shared that, "God never grows two people the same way. God had Abraham take a walk, Elijah take a nap, Joshua take a lap, and Adam take the rap. He gave Moses a forty-year timeout, gave David a harp and a dance, and gave Paul a pen and a scroll. He wrestled with Jacob, argued with Job, warned Cain, and comforted Hagar. He gave Aaron an altar, Miriam a song, Gideon a fleece, Peter a name, and Elisha a mantle."
So considering that, we cannot expect that any of us would have the same frequency as someone else. Of course, it is natural to want to emulate someone that we respect. But, as Eric and Casey confirm, "Your frequency is yours; their frequency is theirs." Frankly, we cannot all be like Mother Teresa or Billy Graham. It simply is not in our personality or identity to do so. There can only be one C.S. Lewis, just as there can only be one you.
"God will not ask why you didn't act more like your neighbor or best friend or spouse," they shared. "He will not ask you why you didn't do things exactly the way your mentor did. He made you, He knows how you operate, and He knows the frequency. He created you with the way you were meant to connect with Him. When you try to live on someone else's frequency or try to connect with God in ways that are foreign to your unique wiring, you will be frustrated." And it can be enough to lead you to the point of giving up completely. And in the end, "You may disguise your frustration with busyness, indifference, opposition to faith, or by expressing frustration with an unimportant issue, giving you permission to stay stuck or plateaued." You can hope and pray all you want, but you will never be able to live exactly as someone else. For Eric and Casey, it is vital that everyone pursue their own frequency. But first, we must realize what our frequency is.
INDIVIDUAL FUEL
In Frequency, Eric and Casey encourage readers to explore their personality style, their learning style and their faith style. All three of these styles make up our frequency. And just as we each have a different frequency, we each require a different fuel for the frequency. As they describe, "The fuel for growth is different for each of us. When you try to apply fuel for growth other than what you are wired to take, it doesn't work. Actually, it can be very destructive. Consider a plant and a lawn mower. They both need fuel to operate, but the liquid they each need is very different...It is the same with your frequency. Individuals are not designed to run on the same type of fuel. One of the greatest challenges we face as Christians is the temptation to try to run our lives on someone else's fuel." For Eric and Casey, it is exactly like what Gary Thomas wrote, "All too often, Christians who desire to be fed spiritually are given the same, generic, hopefully all-inclusive methods-usually some variation on a standardized quiet time. Why? Because it's simple, it's generic, and it's easy to hold people accountable to. But, for many Christians, it's just not enough."
In churches today, we tend to see what Erica and Casey describe as "the same typical approach to spiritual growth." A church will have their members "do the same stuff, read the same book, and join the same type of small group..." But they insist that this "one-size-fits-all approaches to growth don't work with people who need different types of fuel." What's more, these approaches often lead to feelings of failure, inadequacy, and frustration..."
FINDING YOUR FREQUENCY
In finding your frequency, Eric and Casey created monvee.com, an online assessment that allows readers to find their frequency. Here, people can discover how they learn and how they connect with others. More importantly, they can realize their relationship with God and what stands in their way from becoming who they are meant to be. Along with finding their frequency, Eric and Casey provide detailed interviews with ministry leaders of every spiritual frequency. What's more, each spiritual frequency is matched to a Biblical figure.
The Reformer - Joseph
"The reformer is disciplined, strong, responsible, wise, and organized. People with this type of personality are able to overcome adversity and have a strong moral compass. They work hard to be seen as a person who is honest and full of integrity. They love checklists, clear communication, and situations where there are clear right and wrong answers. As a self-proclaimed perfectionist, this type of person can easily become judgmental and relationally cold if they are not careful."
The Helper - Abraham
"The helper is altruistic, generous, enthusiastic, thoughtful, and sympathetic. People with this type of personality are usually caring, dependable, and great listeners. They value the details of each person's life and they love to help people when they need it. They are nurturing, encouraging, and genuinely interested in the lives of others. Because these types of people enjoy helping others, they have a hard time saying no when they need to and often care too much about what people think of them."
The Achiever - Jacob
"The achiever is driven, charismatic, industrious, confident, and energetic. People with this type of personality are usually born leaders and winsome with others. They are contagious to be around, and most people want to be a part of the things they do. They like to develop their skills and abilities in order to be successful. Because these types of people are driven and ambitious, they tend to mask their inadequacies and try too hard for the applause of people."
The Individualist - David
"The individualist is imaginative, honest, profound, inquisitive, and passionate. People with this type of personality feel things deeply and are abundantly creative. They have an uncanny ability to turn something ordinary into something extraordinarily beautiful. They are able to see the positive side to most difficult situations. Because these people feel things deeply, they have the tendency to hold grudges and harness negative feelings for too long if they are not careful."
The Investigator - Luke
"The investigator is intelligent, witty, independent, mysterious, and sensible. People with this type of personality are observant, understanding of the details, and solution-oriented. They are able to analyze a large amount of information with great proficiency and develop clear explanations for complex things. Because these people pride themselves on thinking logically and systematically, they can become very insecure when they don't know the answer to a dilemma and feel cornered with no way out."
The Loyalist - Timothy
"The loyalist is authentic, dependable, sacrificial, warm, and discerning. People with this type of personality are committed to a cause and stand up for what they feel is right. They are hardworking and do what they say they are going to do. They are willing to go to great lengths to accomplish a mission. Because these people have an enormous sense of responsibility, they can be plagued with a sense of not doing enough and worry about outcomes they cannot control."
The Enthusiast - Solomon
"The enthusiast is playful, optimistic, versatile, resilient, and curious. People with this type of personality are willing to try anything and usually have fun doing it. They are multitalented, involved in a variety of things, and consider themselves to be fast learners. To them, there is nothing like an adventure. While the joy of new experiences is blossoming in this type of person, they can become overcommitted, overstimulated, and terribly afraid of becoming bored."
The Challenger - Samson
"The challenger is dynamic, resourceful, self-confident, persistent, and decisive. People with this type of personality are rarely intimidated and are inspiring to follow. They love taking charge of the situation and helping those who cannot help themselves. They love providing opportunities for other people to thrive. They have a strong work ethic and a higher energy level than most people, but it can approach a danger zone when they set unrealistic expectations on themselves and others and don't care properly for their heart, body, and soul."
The Peacemaker - Jonathan
"The peacemaker is patient, unpretentious, good-natured, open minded, and kind. People with this type of personality are excellent mediators and promoters of healthy community. They know how to keep the peace among family, friends, and coworkers. They are naturally drawn to spiritual things and have a strong desire for a deep connection with God. Because of their commitment to peace and harmony, they can be resistant to tough conversations and the resolving of conflict, which leads them to be disengaged and passive."
DIFFERENT PATHS - SAME DESTINATION
All in all, Eric and Casey encourage readers to find their own frequency. We all learn, communicate, dream, think, believe differently, but the end is the same for each of us, if we chose to grow in our frequency. As they shared, "While we all take different paths, the destination is the same-an encounter with God. Your spiritual pathway, learning style, and personality are important to consider as you pursue your frequency. That being said, God is always available to you. People have connected with God without knowing their specific pathway, learning style, or personality. Unfortunately, many of us have lived for far too long not knowing and not succeeding and, therefore, not trying. Every life is important and no one should get to take a pass on growth. You are destined to know God deeply and be transformed every day because of it."