Four Ways the Enneagram Can Add to Your Christian Faith
Can understanding your Enneagram number help your mental health and Christian Faith?
I like order. I always have. I like knowing the rules and the correct way of doing something. I always got good grades and struggle when I feel criticized. And I thought I was a pretty weird person. When I stumbled upon a flier for an Enneagram training at a coffee shop, I had no idea that I’d end up learning that I’m a Type 1, and that there are many other Type 1s out there who think and act a lot like me. It completely changed how I see myself and other people, and it continues to help me grow as a Christian.
The name “Enneagram” comes from the Greek words for nine (Ennea) and something written or drawn (gramma). The symbol of the Enneagram is a circle with Type 9 at the top. Each Type has two lines connecting it to two other Types. I’ll explain more about those lines below, but this is what gives the Enneagram symbol the star-like points. Each Type describes a different and distinct personality. As you learn the different characteristics of each, you will likely identify with aspects of each Type. But, you will also find that one Type feels most “right” to you personally.
To discover what your Type is, you can take a test online. Tests are not 100% accurate, as they only reflect the data they are given. Sometimes people don’t know themselves well enough to answer test questions accurately, or they answer how they would like to be, rather than who they really are. The Enneagram is different from other personality frameworks as it doesn’t just describe you, but it also reflects why you do what you do. Having a conversation with someone familiar with the Enneagram, such as an Enneagram coach, can be helpful. There are nuances to why you do what you do. For example, a Type 1 and Type 3 could look similar because both tend to be high achievers. But Type 1 is achieving because they want to get things right and be perfect, and Type 3 is achieving because they want to be successful and the best at something.
The Enneagram then expands into three subtypes for each Type (self-preservation, social, and 1:1), equaling a total of 27 possible outcomes, and a much more in-depth (and somewhat complicated) look into personality. For the purposes of this article, subtypes will be set aside and you can explore them more on your own. I do mention them though because some people will identify most with a subtype instead of their more generalized Type.
If you haven’t taken the leap into the world of the Enneagram, or are an ardent student of it, I invite you to consider the ways that it can contribute to your spiritual walk as a Christian.
We Gain Empathy and Compassion for Others by knowing our Enneagram number
We all have different perspectives and different reasons for those perspectives. The Enneagram honors 9 different perspectives through nine different personality Types (and even more with those subtypes!). God has made us all different, and for good reason! If we only look at situations from our one point of view, we lose depth and diversity available to us through others. It is easy to get caught in one way of thinking- it’s the way you’ve always thought! Jesus calls us to compassion and love, and we can love people best when we can empathize with and honor their experiences and ideas. Learning the Enneagram will show you eight other ways to approach something.
When you hear a Type 4 talk about how the lighting in the room really impacts how people feel, or a Type 6 brainstorm ways to include everyone on the team, you will notice things you wouldn’t have otherwise. As a Type 1, I value order and structure, but I can get so narrowly focused that I miss out on cheering for the success of others that a Type 3 would bring to the table. One approach isn’t correct or better than all the others, rather each Type contributes to a more expansive and informed approach that is going to benefit the most people possible.
The Enneagram also shows us how we can have compassion and empathy for someone who is struggling, and reminds us their struggle is still valid and deserves our empathy, even if it’s not what we’re experiencing. My Type 5 friend might be tapped out emotionally and needing to leave a social situation while I may want to stay longer. I can empathize with how it feels to be totally drained and exhausted. And while I may not be feeling it in the moment, she is, and it’s very real for her. Because I know she’s a 5, it makes sense that she’s ready to go and I’m not going to take it personally. In fact, I can be a better advocate for her needs because I understand where they come from. Empathy is powerful and helps us to be more Christ-like in situations that we aren’t directly experiencing.
It is thought that Jesus encompassed all Enneagram Types. As we connect with others and value their experiences, we are valuing Christ in them.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (NIV Matthew 25:35, 36, 40)
The Enneagram Gives Us Language around What We Tend to Struggle With
Each Enneagram Type has a “sin” or passion that they struggle with. Each are listed below:
As Christians, we tend to be comfortable with the word “sin” and understand that we all have room for growth. When learning the Enneagram and that my sin was anger, I was shocked! I make great efforts to not be angry, but then I realized that was because I feel anger so often. I felt called out and a little vulnerable. And then I felt comforted- I’m not alone. There are other Type 1s in the world and they struggle with anger like me. Knowing that my Type struggles with anger gave me a whole new awareness for when I become angry.
My Enneagram Coach trainer, Dr. Tom LaHue, has this beautiful phrase, “I’m just a Type__ doing Type__ things”. So I’m just a Type 1 doing Type 1 things, and struggling with Type 1 struggles. This phrase is not intended to let me off the hook and just stop at, well that’s just who I am. This phrase helps me shift from shame to compassion for myself, and I find that humans grow much healthier when they are motivated by compassion for themselves, and not shame.
This phrase can also give us pause when we’re wanting to judge someone else for what they’re struggling with. They’re just a Type __, doing Type __ things. We can take their behaviors much less personally and have more patience for them when we know where their behavior comes from.
We Have Personal Connections with Four Other Perspectives to Help Us Grow
Our faith encourages us to continue growing and keep becoming more Christ-like. The Enneagram is a proactive framework for understanding ourselves and what direction to move in for health. It hands each Type a map to grow and keep increasing in the characteristics of Jesus.
Each Enneagram Type is connected to four other Types. We have lines to two Types that reflect when we feel secure (relaxed and confident) and when we feel stressed, and “wings” or the Types on either side of us. For example, as a Type 1, when I am stressed I go to Type 4 and to Type 7 when feeling secure. I also have Type 2 on one side and Type 9 on the other as my wings. All of these types can provide me wisdom and insight about myself, and remind me that there are other ways of looking at something.
I can see how when I experience criticism (which is so uncomfortable for a 1), I will emotionally spiral and feel caught in the shadow characteristics of a Type 4- feeling misunderstood, alone, and melancholy. On the contrary, if I am feeling secure and self-assured, I will embody more optimistic and relaxed emotions of a healthy Type 7. It’s easy to think that I need to avoid going to Type 4, but the Enneagram has a beautifully compassionate system that actually gives me what I need.
If I am feeling stressed, I need to connect with my emotions, and going to a Type 4 is going to help me access and honor those. I can move through stress in a much healthier way if I stop to feel my emotions. And by knowing what my stress looks like, I can recognize when I’m slipping into an unhealthy response and take steps to move back toward health.
Just like a bird, we need balanced wings helps us move more effectively and in a healthy direction. Each Enneagram Type has a more dominant wing, and that is totally normal and to be expected. But as we know, getting too entrenched in our ways can blind us to other possibilities. If you know your dominant wing, you can try leaning into your non-dominant wing for a different perspective. For example, I identify as a Type 1 with a dominant 9 wing. With my Type 9 wing, I can get into a martyr role easily and feel a lot of resentment for taking on tasks and not receiving help from others. So to move to a more balanced self, I need to lean into my Type 2 wing and start connecting with others and delegating what I need them to help me with. If I delegate, I’m going to feel much less alone and still be effective in accomplishing the tasks at hand.
Every Type has connections like this and each can inform how you can move toward a more Christ-like response.
The Enneagram Helps Us Build Community
When you learn about the Enneagram, you are instantly part of a much larger community. This community comes with a common language, a framework for approaching self-growth, and understanding for ourselves and others. You could walk into a crowd of Enneagram enthusiasts, exchange Types, and instantly you would know and understand things about each other. I really enjoy talking with my friends who use the Enneagram. They get it when I share that I had to shift my plans suddenly and that was hard for my Type 1 self. And I understand when my Type 8 friend talks about getting into another argument in the comments on Facebook. Understanding others, and ourselves, builds healthy and strong communities that can work to members’ strengths. We also know how we can be in prayer for one another and support one another in our Christian faith. Having this kind of depth in relationships, especially with those who share your spiritual journey will deepen your own walk. This kind of vulnerability can feel uncomfortable for some, so if that’s the case for you, I invite you to ease into it at your own pace.
Aside from in-person connections, there are tons of books, blogs, videos, social media groups, and more to educate yourself and expand your community.
The following are not sponsored, they’re just resources that I enjoy and would love to share with you:
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
Dr. Tom LaHue’s Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/user/twlahue
The Enneagram Institute is a great resource for Information about each Type and background on the Enneagram: www.enneagraminstitute.com
The EnneaApp is an easy to use app for quick references, and the one-time $2.99 allows you to access subtypes and additional information. It’s available for both Apple and Android.
Some of my favorite Enneagram Instagram accounts to follow: @enneagram.kam, @enneagramandcoffee, @enneagramexplained, @suzannestabile