The Enneagram

Personality tests are everywhere. You might have heard of the Myers Briggs, Strengths Finder, or the “Lion, Otter, Beaver, Retriever” tests. All of these have a certain helpfulness as Christians try to understand how God made us. In the last few years, a new (but also very old) test has come into popularity called the Enneagram. This short article is not an explanation of this test. At the end of the article, I have posted a resource that will be helpful in understanding and making your own judgment call on the Enneagram. The goal of this article is to pursue knowing others and ourselves for God’s glory.

When Kayla and I first got married, we would argue every single weekend. I wanted to rest on the weekends, watch sports and rest again. Kayla loves getting things done on the weekends. I would often take her desire for productivity as an insult to my desire to rest and spend time together. Because of this, we found our weekends of marital bliss mixed with marital tension. It wasn’t that we wanted to fight or didn’t want to know each other well. It was just that we couldn’t appreciate the beauty in each other’s God-given disposition and personalities.

Enter the Enneagram. Kayla took a short test and did some reading, listened to some podcasts, and found that my view made sense once she knew where I was coming from. After many months of resistance, she finally got me to take the test to see what number I was on the Enneagram. It was in my own reading and understanding of the Enneagram that I started to see where Kayla was coming from. The Enneagram was tremendously helpful to us during this time in our marriage. We understood each other better, and we could see why we might think or do certain things. We saw our motivation in each other’s actions, but the real solution was the Spirit of God working in our hearts to grow a deeper love and appreciation for each other.

To state this another way, the Enneagram personality test was the instrument God used to reveal his grace. It didn’t define or fix our martial arguments, and it didn’t make us more humble. It can’t do that, only God can. So as much as I am a fan of the Enneagram and have found it helpful in my marriage, family and even work, there is not a single personality test that can give us what God in Christ gives us—a new identity, one found in Christ. If you enjoy these tests, or if you cannot stand them, the fact remains that as people found in the identity of Christ, we should be eager to know, understand and give grace to other people as image bearers. If a personality test can help us do that, then we can give God the glory for it.

Hannah Hanzel says there are a few scripture passages which identify specific reasons and ways to know, understand and give grace to others. Whether through a personality test or through the thorough pursuit of knowing someone, here is what the Bible tells us:

·       Befriending and knowing others is mutually beneficial.
(1 Thess. 5:11, Ecc. 4:9-10, Prov. 27:9, Psalm 133:1, Prov. 17:17)

·       Knowing others well teaches us who to surround ourselves with.
(1 Cor. 15:33, Prov. 16:28, Prov. 18:24, Prov. 22:24-25, Prov. 13:20)

·       Having a better understanding of those around us trains us how to better show forgiveness and grace.
(Col. 3:12-14, Job 6:14, Prov. 17:9, Rom. 12:10, 1 Pet. 4:8-10, John 15:12-13)

Here is the link we referenced earlier in case you would like to do some additional reading:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-faqs-what-christians-should-know-about-the-enneagram/