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The Personality Traffic Light
The Personality Traffic Light is a way to understand how human beings react to others. The Personality Traffic Light contains three elements. They describe our personality as we react as an adult, a parent or a child. They show our reaction to other people and to the circumstances around us. Let us consider the Adult, Child and Parent reactions from our personality traffic light which are evident in each one of us. Let us try to understand how God can enter in and transform them.
The Adult
The "adult" reaction is necessary for survival as it processes data and computes the information essential for dealing effectively with the outside world. For example, when you try to cross a busy highway your "adult" reaction comes to bear upon that situation. You automatically estimate the speed and distance of the cars approaching you from several directions. You hesitate until you are sure that you can make it safely to the other side. In conversation, the "adult" reaction also comes to bear. You are asked a question or someone makes a statement to you. Your mind prompts you with the facts from other experiences you may have had. You therefore accept, deny or do not have a reaction to the original statement on those grounds.
An example of the "adult" reaction is to be found in the meeting of Jesus and the woman of Samaria. When Jesus meets the woman of Samaria at the well, He prompts her, "If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water." 1 Her logical power ("Adult" reaction) goes into play and the only answer that she can find is that he is talking of the water in the deep well. She therefore answers, "You don't have a bucket and the well is deep. Where would you get that life-giving water?" This is a very practical and logical reaction drawn from her adult reaction.
In the same way, a Christian can lead a person to the Savior via a series of questions such as, "Is God real in your life?" "Why did Jesus die upon the cross?""What does this Bible verse tell you about God's love?" Some people do not respond through a mental "adult"reaction but rather an emotional "child" one. The evangelist would want to take a different reaction to this type of "child" response.
Notes
1 John 4:10
"Is God real in your life?"
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