The Enneagram: A Path to Self-Awareness in Three Dimensions

Here Are Three Ways the Enneagram Can Help You Develop Yourself

When I first got married, I didn’t understand why my husband needed to get a new tool for every little thing he performed around the home. In terms of efficiency and quality, he always emphasized the need of having the proper equipment. After applying this idea to the projects my spouse has finished and to my own, I can confirm that it is sound advice years later.

The importance of proper equipment is not limited to the workplace. As Christians, who were created in God’s likeness, we get a deeper understanding of our Creator as we gain insight into who we are. Many different types of personality tests are available to help us better understand ourselves, yet the vast majority of them only examine outward manifestations of our inner self. Therefore, the tools necessary for inner work and personal development are not provided by these kinds of assessments.

The ancient Enneagram (en-nea-gram) is not like other personality tests. The actions and outward demeanor of a person are concealed. The Enneagram sheds light on the inner workings of our minds and hearts to explain our actions. It sheds light on our true intentions, our deepest drives, and guides us toward the most beneficial outcomes.

The Enneagram may help us work on ourselves, which can have a positive effect on our relationships and the world at large, but it is important to keep in mind that it is not a panacea. Only through a personal connection with Jesus Christ can we be saved and experience meaningful and permanent change.

When we examine the Enneagram from a gospel perspective, we may see more clearly where our hearts align or diverge from the reality of God’s Word and how much we need Jesus.

In order to begin our inner work and get insight into who we are, let’s consider three applications of the Enneagram for self-improvement.

1. The Process of Emotional Development

The Enneagram measures nine different personality traits. The way each personality type sees the world is distinctive. A good analogy would be nine pairs of glasses, each with a distinct tint. What you see depends on the color of your lenses. If your eyes are purple, your vision will be purple.

Realizing that other individuals have different perspectives than our own might help us to better understand them. When we do this, we are better equipped to show grace to ourselves and others and to practice patience, empathy, and compassion. These strategies may be used in both private and public interactions.

According to the Enneagram, there are nine distinct personality types, each of which is driven by one of four basic motives that shape our thoughts, emotions, and actions. They consist of our deepest apprehensions, yearnings, struggles, and aversions, as well as the things we most want in life (the message our heart longs to hear and experience).

The Enneagram may be used to improve emotional intelligence and the capacity for self-regulation, two skills that are essential given the complexity of our inner worlds.

2. Development of the Soul

As individuals, we all reflect the likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). We are all parts of Christ’s Body, and we all have important responsibilities. Each of us reflects God in our own unique manner. Every one of the nine distinct Enneagram types reveals a facet of the divine to the world. Each personality type represents several aspects of God, however the following are the most common ones:

• Characters with an Enneagram type 1 personality are conduits of divine grace.
• People with an Enneagram type 2 personality spread God’s love to the world.
• Those with an Enneagram type 3 personality are conduits of divine creativity.
• Those with an Enneagram type 4 personality are conduits for God’s inspiration.
• Those with an Enneagram type 5 personality are the ones who share God’s wisdom with humanity.
• Individuals with an Enneagram type 6 personality reveal God’s reliability to the world.
• Those with an Enneagram type 7 personality spread God’s happiness to the world.
• Type 8s on the Enneagram are the ones that God uses to shield the world.
• Peace on Earth is brought to us by those with an Enneagram type 9.

Sin issues and areas of blindness are also exposed by the Enneagram. If we can identify these weak spots, we may make adjustments so that they better reflect the gospel’s truth.

The feelings of embarrassment, remorse, and judgment that might result from uncovering these less than attractive aspects are real. (Jesus took care of all this on the cross.) When we recognize these things in our life, it is crucial that we admit them, ask God to forgive us, and then surrender them to God and ask Him to help us live as His cherished children. For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8) is a powerful reminder. Be shining examples of humanity.

3. Expanding in Size

The Enneagram shows our innate ways of thinking, feeling, and acting. Although we all have access to all three centers of intelligence (head, heart, gut), each of us has a dominant one that we turn to first.

Since I am a 5 on the Enneagram, I reside in the third triad of the mind (also called the head triad). This implies that when I am presented with new knowledge or made aware of a new situation, my first instinct is to consider the pragmatic aspects of the matter at hand. This helps me retain my cool in a tense circumstance, evaluate my options rationally, and avoid letting my emotions cloud my judgment.

Knowing that this is my natural reaction helps me avoid being stuck in “analytical paralysis” and getting things done.

How we handle pressure is another area that might be revealed by the Enneagram. While the manifestations of stress vary from person to person, we can almost all agree that it is a constant companion of our lives. To better manage stress, it’s helpful to get familiar with the factors that tend to set off your particular personality type.

When anxious, our responses are typically not nice for others around us. If we are really in touch with our emotions, we can take responsibility for our actions and apologize to people we have hurt. Asserting our desire to alter our behavior and praying to God for guidance are both good first steps toward improvement. Even if the issue remains challenging, you will be better prepared to deal with it. You could even discover a serenity you’ve never known in such circumstances.

Knowing one’s own Enneagram type may help one become more self-aware of one’s own strengths, faults, challenges, triggers, and defensive mechanisms. In both our personal and professional lives, it may help us better communicate and resolve conflicts.

The first step toward improvement is to gain self-awareness. Lack of self-awareness prevents us from developing psychologically, spiritually, and physically. The Enneagram, when seen through the lens of the gospel, sheds insight on the differences between good and bad lifestyles.

If you just use the ancient Enneagram test to determine your personality type and “number,” you’re missing out on the opportunity for self-improvement and a more harmonious interior world that this test offers.

Your personal introspection will prepare you to be a spiritual guide for your family as you encourage them to pursue a relationship with Jesus. It’s the stuff that makes you capable of making an impression on the people around you. It equips you to shine as a beacon of hope in a troubled world.

Coaches trained in the Enneagram who have a firm foundation in the gospel may help you peel back the layers of your personality and learn to control your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. These resources will be invaluable as you work to take charge of your health as a child of God.