11.07.10 - Two Types Of People

It is common for people to say, “There are two types of people in the world” and then to describe what those two types are. Let me give you some examples.

I read a blog in which a personnel manager (in other words, a person who recruits new employees) was quoted as saying that after 25 years in the job, he was convinced that there are only two types of people in the world: those who start with nothing and manage to produce something, and those who could be given all the resources in the world and would still produce nothing.

That’s an interesting thought. There are those who produce (despite a disadvantage) and those who don’t produce (despite an advantage). Which are you?

Because it was a blog, there were some interesting comments. One person said, “That reminds me of the story of the hiring manager who threw half of all job applications he received in the bin. That way, he didn’t hire anyone who was unlucky.”

Someone else said, “My experience teaches me that if there are two types of people they are people who know how to actually do things and personnel managers.”

An old joke says: There are two types of people in the world: those who believe there are two types of people in the world and those who don’t.

There is actually a web site called www.tattopitw.com and a facebook page for there are two types of people in the world. Some people will become fans of that page and some won’t.

Mark Twain said, “There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.”

There are two types of people in the world:
• Those who say the glass is half full and those who say it is half empty. Which are you?
• Those who are creative thinkers and those who are critical thinkers
• Those who read the instructions and those who don't.
• Those who follow the paths others have made and those who make their own paths.
• Dreamers and doers
• Those who moan about their situation and those who do something about it.
• Those who take risks and those who play it safe.
• Those who walk into a room and say "Ah here I am" and those who say "Ah there you are"

There are a number of jokes around too.
• There are three types of people in the world: those who can count and those who can’t.
• There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don’t

And here is a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox: Two Kinds Of People

There are two kinds of people on earth today;
Just two kinds of people, no more I say.
Not the sinner and the saint, for it’s well understood
The good are half bad and the bad are half good.

Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's wealth,
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.
Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span,
He who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man.

Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean
Are the people who lift and the people who lean.

Wherever you go you will find the earth's masses
Are always divided in just these two classes
And oddly enough, you will find, too, I ween,
There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.

In which class are you? Are you easing the load
Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner who lets others bear
Your portion of labour and worry and care?

When people are making these statements they choose one characteristic. And so people either are or are not that thing. People are either workers or shirkers. People either are or are not optimists. They either are or are not innovators. They are either doers or dreamers. They either do or do not like sea food.

So, in a sense there are only two types of people in the world – if we are talking about a single characteristic. But as soon as we add in another characteristic we have four types of people. There are:
1. Those who are introverts and like spaghetti
2. Those who are introverts and don’t like spaghetti
3. Those who are extroverts and life spaghetti
4. Those who are extroverts and don’t like spaghetti.

Add another characteristic and you have 8 types. Add a fourth and you have 16. The number of types grows exponentially until you have to say maybe there’s nearly 7 billion types of people in the world.

To make it even more complicated, it is often not true to say that a person is either A or B. There are some things that you either are or are not. You either are pregnant or you are not. You either are married or you are not. You can’t be a little bit married.

But for most things, everybody is actually on a continuum between those two extremes – maybe mainly A and a little bit B. Generally optimistic but pessimistic if I am tired. It is far more complex than just A or B. Even with just one characteristic there is an infinite range of possibilities, not just two.

For any particular characteristic, we can ask ourselves, “Am I A or B or where am I on that spectrum?” We should ask ourselves those questions. Am I a lifter or a leaner? Am I lazy or energetic? Am I positive or negative, or what combination of the two?

The reality is every one of us is unique, each made up of a unique combination of characteristics. There are not two type of people in the world but nearly 7 billion – each person unique.

Isn’t it one of the most amazing aspects of God’s creation that there are no two things exactly alike? There are no two snowflakes that are exactly the same (although I don’t know how anyone knows that) and there are no two people who are exactly the same. We have an amazingly creative God.

Our uniqueness makes us special. We are one of a kind. We are not mass produced. We are not just like everybody else, or even anybody else. There are things about us that set us apart.

Of course, the cynic says, “You are unique, just like everybody else” but the reality is that you are not exactly the same as anybody else. On the blog I mentioned earlier someone said, “There is only one kind of person in this world. A person comprised of an absolutely unique combination of features, flaws, characteristics, beliefs, quirks, and aspirations. It’s wonderful!” Celebrate the individual.

READ Luke 12:4-7

God knows all about you; all the tiny details. He knows your uniqueness. He doesn’t just assume how many hairs are on your head. He doesn’t just say, “Southland male, about 40 years old. In that case, probably 90,000 hairs.” He doesn’t make those assumptions. He knows the exact number. He knows you. He knows your uniqueness. The point Jesus is making is that you are valuable to Him.

Yet we have a tendency to want to put people in categories. We can’t cope with 7 billion types of people. God can but we can’t. We want to reduce it to a far smaller number of categories. We want to be able to say, “You are this sort of person. And you are that sort of person.” It is convenient to label people and deal with only a few categories. But it doesn’t do justice to the exceptions or the vast variety.

When we label someone we can then assume that they are a certain way. All extroverts are shallow. Or all redheads have a temper. That is the basis of prejudice – pre-judging – and it devalues people. God doesn’t put people in boxes and then make assumptions, and neither should we.

Although, you know, God does say that there are only two types of people in the world. There is one thing that divides all people into two categories.

READ Mark 9:38-40

John wanted to stop this person driving out demons because he was not one of them. There is another way of saying there are two types of people in this world; us and them.

Jesus didn’t argue with the idea of two categories. He said, “Actually, he is one of us too. If he does a miracle in my name, he is not going to then turn around and criticise me.” Then Jesus said a fascinating thing: whoever is not against us is for us. In other words, there are only two possibilities: for us or against us. There is no other option. Whoever is not against us is for us. In Matthew 12:30 Jesus states it the other way: whoever is not with us is against us. There are only two options.

There is a sharp distinction and we fall into one category or the other. We might express it in various ways. We are either God’s children or we are not. In John 8 Jesus spoke to the Jews, who clearly believed that they were God’s children. In that passage they say that they are children of God. Jesus says, “Actually, you are not. If you were, you would love me. Actually, you are children of the devil.”

We might talk about the same thing in terms of being saved and going to heaven. We either are or we are not. In the end, there is one characteristic that does divide the world into two types of people. There is going to be a judgement. People will be divided into two groups.

What is the criterion that divides people like that? It is having a relationship with Jesus. Are we for Jesus or against Him? It is trusting Him and following Him.

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.

That is very clear, isn’t it? Only two possibilities: whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life but rather God’s judgement. It all hinges on believing in Jesus. Believing means more than just head belief. It means trusting enough to put our lives in His hands.

That, of course, is our choice. We know what God wants. God wants everyone to be saved.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

1 Tim 2:4 [God] who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

In many ways it is ridiculous to say there are only two types of people in this world. There are many types of people because God has made us unique. But when it comes to the biggest question that we will ever face – the question that will be asked at the judgement when people will be divided into two types – we need to know that we know the answer. When it comes to our salvation and our eternity, there are only two types of people.

Have you put your faith in Jesus and are you following Him in obedience? God wants you to be His child. He doesn’t want anyone to perish. He wants to give you eternal life. If you are not already a child of God, you have the opportunity today to start that relationship. As always, at the end of the service there will be people willing to pray with you, at the front of the church, at the right hand side. If God is calling you to respond today, the service hasn’t finished until you have made that response. Please don’t just walk out and leave the service unfinished. If God wants to make you His child today, please don’t leave without becoming His child. Don’t walk away from God. There are two types of people in this world.