The Road Back to Jesus: An Enneagram Journey for the Conscientious Christian

The Enneagram. Have you heard of it? 

I like to imagine most people who’ve heard of the Enneagram fall into three camps:

• The All-In Enneagram Guru (and you proudly share your enneagram number- and maybe your spouse’s- in your instagram bio.)

• The Fairweather Free-Test Taker (and you’re not totally confident you’ve identified yourself with the right number. Hi, this is me.)

• The Shrug-and-Move-On Passerby, (and you’re pretty sure it’s just another personality test for self-aware hipsters.)

And then there are The Clueless Ones, who’ve never heard of the “Sacred Enneagram” and might question how a personality test that’s core philosophies look like this:

could play a role in the life of a Christian. (Because, it looks a little bit like astrology or witchcraft or something from a fantasy novel, right?)

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Why Do We Like Personality Tests?

Humans love to categorize, analyze, label, and classify themselves. We love when we can finish the sentence “I am” with a whole host of expertly-descriptive words so others can perfectly picture our prettily packaged lives. 

Let me give you an example: 

I’m an INFP, a Millennial (but just barely), a (very proud) Hufflepuff, and my strengths à la StrengthsFinder are ideation, strategic, input, developer, and learner. My primary love languages are quality time and physical touch, with acts of service coming in at a solid third. I am an Enneagram two (the helper). 

It’s a little strange. You may have never met me, but from that laundry list you can know a lot about the deep inner workings of my personality, including my work style, what sort of friend I am, how I manage stress, how I might act in a room full of strangers, and more.

I’ve seen schools where teachers’ strengths are posted outside of classroom doors. In college I conferred with classmates to assign group project roles based upon each person’s StrengthsFinder results. I’ve discussed love languages extensively with my husband, and as our relationship and family grow, each of our needs change. (For example, as a stay-at-home mom of two small children, I now care a whole lot more about “acts of service” than I once did.) 

This is certainly a big help when building friendships, forming partnerships, or walking into your next family gathering. But, for me personally, all of these tests and labels are more useful to me than anyone else because they force me to engage in self-reflection. 

How can I best use my gifts for God’s kingdom? How can I be the best version of myself as I live in God’s transformative grace?

When I’m feeling the weight of a lifetime of struggle against my own sinful flesh, it helps me to see the specific ways God has shaped me, the gifts he has given me, and the skills with which he has empowered me.

But, for all the value of knowing your strengths, one personality test is asserting that knowing your weaknesses is even more important.

Enter: the Enneagram!

Come back tomorrow to learn more!

Join the Conversation:

• Have you heard of the Enneagram?  Share your Enneagram number below!
• (Or if you haven’t taken the test here’s a link to a free one!)
• What other personality tests do you like? What value do you find in them?