Section Two: The Personal Characteristics of a Godly Life.
Our current theme: Characteristic Four: Being Christ-Actualized.
Our reading for today: Psalm 139: 13-16 (MsgB)
Oh yes, You shaped me first inside, then out; You formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—You’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, You know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, You watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before You. The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
The truth of the matter is this.
God, our loving Creator, already knows us from the inside…out. As Psalm 139 states, God knows exactly how we were made, has watched us grow from conception to birth to old age, and without any help from the Enneagram, knows our unique personality, and how and why it is what it is.
But here’s the wonder of it all.
While God knows us from top to bottom, you and I rarely take the time in this life to get to know ourselves as well as God knows us. So as I see it, the Enneagram is a simple tool, which when used in the context of a biblically-sound discipleship program such as the one we are working through here, can aid us in that unique work to know ourselves just as God knows us…our true selves!
So today, let me give you just a bit more detail about how the Enneagram works and what you can look for over the next few blog sessions as I highlight for you the nine different personality types. First, let’s refresh your memory on what the Enneagram is:
The Enneagram is a psycho/spiritual inventory tool that provides insight into the dynamics within us that influence how we live, relate to others and do our work. Some would say “it explains why things aren’t going so well for us.” ‘Ennea’ means ‘nine’. ‘Gram’ simply means ‘written out.’ The concepts of the Enneagram actually date back to the 3rd and 4th centuries. Originally based from the seven deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth), the Enneagram adds two more deadly sins (deceit and fear) to bring the personality type options up to nine. Keep in mind that the Enneagram is not exclusively Christian; but is a very productive personality evaluation tool used in many major religious traditions.
As you will see in our next nine blogs, the Enneagram broadens out the definitions of our personalities, going beyond our struggles with sin, identifying unique traits to the nine different personality types. Let me begin here today, with a very brief overview of the nine personality types, and how the Enneagram helps us better identify each personality. I will give them to you as they are grouped with the three triads we discussed earlier, The Gut Triad (#8, #9, #1), The Heart Triad (#2, #3, #4), and The Head Triad (#5, #6, #7).
(Click here to review info we shared in earlier blogs)
Nine Enneagram Personalities: Nine Unique Ways Our Triune Brain Deals With Life.
As you might recall from our earlier sessions, we showed you how the human brain has three “power centers” (GUT=Doing, HEART=Feeling, HEAD=Thinking) and each of these power centers has the capability of navigating us through life’s ups and downs. Keep in mind as well, that each of the three triads (GUT, HEART, HEAD) has a specific enemy to be overcome.
THE GUT TRIAD: (Enneagram #8, #9, #1) Doing-oriented, knowing-driven, body-centered, decisions from the gut, power-focused. When encountering life, the first reaction is to do something. Tends to act before thinking or feeling. Anger is always waiting beneath the surface.
THE HEART TRIAD: (Enneagram #2, #3, #4) Feeling-oriented. feeling-driven, emotionally-centered, decisions from the heart, people-focused. When encountering life, the first reaction is to feel something. Tends to feel before doing or thinking. Shame is always waiting beneath the surface.
THE HEAD TRIAD: (Enneagram #5, #6, #7) Thinking-oriented, thinking-driven, mentally-centered, decisions from the head, provision-focused. When encountering life, the first reaction is to think and plan. Tends to overthink things before feeling or doing. Fear is always waiting beneath the surface.
Once a Preferred Center and Primary Enemy is established in our life, the Enneagram can now help us go into more detail by identifying nine varying patterns we utilize when prioritizing our approach to life.
Nine Enneagram Personalities: Our Support and Repressed Centers & Unique Enemy.
First, while each Center has an arching emotional enemy (GUT = Anger, HEART = Shame, HEAD = Fear) the Enneagram also offers us a much more detailed report in identifying a specific enemy that corresponds with each of the nine personality types. As we mentioned earlier, these specific enemies are based on the seven deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth) with deceit and fear added to bring the type numbers to nine.
Secondly, each of the nine Enneagram personality styles has a unique priority system which is comprised of 1) a Life Lense: our Preferred (Dominant) Center through which we view life; 2) a Life Response: a Support (Secondary) Center that reacts to and supports our first perceptions, leaving 3) a Missing Life Piece: a Repressed (or under-used, under-developed) Center which sadly eliminates (or under-uses) a much-needed component for doing life well.
A completely healthy and whole human being, free from life’s pain and struggles, would have a balanced approach to all three power centers, but because “life happens”, we tend to live our lives through one power center, using a secondary center to process and respond to life, leaving the third center suppressed or relatively under-used and/or under-developed.
Below is a chart which helps you see how your Enneagram personality type responds to life.
Let me give you an example of how the info on the chart plays out in my own life. For me, a #2 (Helper) on the Enneagram, my truest enemies are Shame and Pride. My Preferred Center is the Feeling triad, so as I take in life, I perceive it, first and foremost, through my feelings. My secondary Support Center is Doing, and my Repressed Center is Thinking. This means that when I’m left to my own devices, I will view life through my Life Lense of my Feeling Center, and then quickly go over to my Doing Center (Life Response), acting on my feelings without much (if any) help from my Thinking Center (Missing Life Piece). All the while, I’m battling Shame and Pride, hoping as a #2 Helper that my hard work in “helping” others will give me the appreciation and love I’m searching for deep inside.
Nine Enneagram Personalities: Our Coping Strategies and Life Stances
Within each triad (Gut, Heart & Head) the Enneagram points out that each one of us will generally choose one of three unique “Coping Strategies” when responding to the world around us. Coping Strategy #1 is to Externalize, looking outwardly as we attempt to find the source of our battles. Coping Strategy #2 is to Neutralize, hoping an out-of-sight-out-of-mind approach will help us survive. Finally, Coping Strategy #3 is to Internalize, looking inwardly as we strive to find the source of our problems.
When it comes to our emotional enemies (Anger, Shame, Fear, etc.) each one of us tends to cope with our emotions in the same way we cope with life. We Externalize. We Neutralize. We Internalize. If you look at the chart above, you’ll see that each of these three Coping Strategies is found within one of the three Enneagram types in each preferred center.
So, how do you cope with life’s problems? What’s your strategy? How do you handle your emotions?
Your one answer to these “coping” questions just might help you in confirming your unique personality type as it differentiates from the other two found in your power center/triad.
Secondly, the Enneagram identifies what Suzanne Stabile calls “Life Stances” or three different ways of moving through the world. Stance #1 is found in 3’s, 7’s & 8’s, and is called the Aggressive stance where we run at people as we respond to life’s problems. Stance #2 is found in 1’s, 2’s, & 6’s, and is called the Dependent stance where we come alongside people, relying upon our relationships to help us cope. Stance #3 is found in 4’s, 5’s, & 9’s, and is called the Withdrawing stance where we move away from people, preferring to deal with life on our own.
Following are three charts that give us all nine Enneagram types and the corresponding Coping Strategies and Life Stances:
The major preoccupation of the Gut triad is anger. 8’s see life’s problems as an external one, reducing anger by aggression and bullying, by being in charge and calling the shots. The strategy of 9’s is to neutralize and repress anger, withdrawing and being conciliatory by creating a comfortable, disturbance-free world in which there is no cause for anger. 1’s perceive the problem as an internal one, tackle anger by perfecting themselves and then going out in the world to co-create with others a perfect place in which there is no cause for anger.
Those in the Heart Triad sense shame and are preoccupied with image and acceptance. 2’s see the solution to be found in their outside world, overcoming shame through dependency upon others, hoping warmth and helpfulness can win the day. The strategy of 3’s is to forget about the shame while gaining the applause of others through their aggressive attempts at success and achievement. 4’s internalize the shame, hoping to accomplish acceptance by pulling away from the world, achieving attention and admiration by being unlike others, following the beat of a different drummer.
Those of the Head Triad are driven by fear and do everything they can to reduce anxiety surrounding that fear. 5’s see the outside world as the primary source of much of their pain. Thus, they reduce fear by withdrawing, so they can gather more and more facts, keeping their distance from the messiness of life. 6’s are rarely in touch with their specific fears, but know that anxiety can be overcome by following the rules of others, coloring between the lines, obeying authority, serving others, and staying out of trouble. Safety and security are paramount. 7’s see their fear as something they’ve created through their own actions and attempt to reduce anxiety and fear by living an aggressive, devil-may-care life that maximizes pleasure.
Once again, I’ll give you my personal example to see how it all works. As a #2 Helper, I take in life through my Preferred Center of Feeling. As you can see (above) my Coping Strategy is to Externalize my issues with Shame and Pride, making me believe that most of my problems come from outward causes and will be solved through external activity. Next, notice how my Support Center (Doing) is lived out in a Dependent stance, meaning I’m very dependent upon others to help me solve my core issues of Shame and Pride. So without much help from my Repressed Center (Thinking) I rarely take the time to clearly meditate or ponder over my issues, but quickly act (Doing) to help me find the love and appreciation I long for in my life.
As we work through the nine Enneagram types in the next nine blogs, I encourage you to take a closer look at these charts (See Chart #3), concentrating on the Enneagram number you feel represents you the best. As I mentioned earlier, the Enneagram has a very uncanny way of addressing why things aren’t going so well for us! But the good news is that in Christ, all of these less-than-perfect life strategies can be redeemed, bringing us to a greater appreciation of the unique personality God has given each of us, thus learning to live life to the full!
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Jesus of Nazareth John 10: 10 (NIV)
How will you know when you’ve arrived at your Enneagram personality number?
You will know it. Waves of relief and embarrassment, of elation and chagrin, are likely to sweep over you. Things that you have always known unconsciously about yourself will suddenly become clear, and life patterns will emerge. You can be sure when this happens, you have identified your personality type correctly. Don Richard Riso & Russ Hudson
So, join us over the next nine blog sessions. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you hopefully will walk away with not only a better understanding of yourself, but also a clearer path on which you can cooperate with God as He helps you grow and mature in your unique personality, allowing your true self to become more evident to both yourself and others!
Join us next time as we begin our work, first within the Gut Triad, beginning with the Enneagram #8, The Challenger.
My prayer: Father God, without a doubt, You know me better than anyone else…even better than I know myself! And as my Creator, you know things about me that I might not fully understand, or much less appreciate, but praise Your name, You desire for me to stop, look, and listen for Your wisdom and insight in all these things. Spirit, come search me and then lead me to my truest self. For Your glory and for Your name’s sake. Amen.
My questions to ponder: As I’m finding out more about the Enneagram, is it becoming clearer on the unique personality type God has made me to be? Can I allow the Spirit to move me past my emotions of anger, shame, or fear, so that I might become all Christ has for me, shaped and purposed for His glory?
So what is God speaking to you today as we attempt to live the Christ-centered life?
Over a thirty-six week period, you and I will take a deeper look into twelve key characteristics of a godly life. In other words, we’ll take A Journey into Christian Discipleship. In order to keep all the blog sessions organized, we suggest you bookmark our Journey home page for ease of use. ENJOY!
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