For the last years I have been reading and studying the Enneagram personality types. The studies helped me immensely to understand myself and certain behaviors, especially in conflict areas and in the way I work and interact in this world.
After a while I became more fascinated because of the possibilities for growth not just to improve myself, but spiritual growth. The Enneagram is like a key that opens up understanding of myself and God who created me. Most of the books on the Enneagram tend to emphasize the personality improvement and the use of it in work and relationship. There are some books looking more to the spiritual use of the Enneagram. Mostly they tend a little to much to the New Age genre. Still I believe that to often we are trapped in our personalities, formed in our growing up years, that then keeps us from developing as disciples of Jesus. I can see it in my own life and of course many situation in church and the mission-field how personality becomes the drive to live and work in the kingdom of God. I used to try to emphasize the good in that personality and suppress the bad or work around it. The Enneagram shows another way. Namely to move towards essence. Our true self underneath the layers of personality.
I left on a journey that made me discover alot about myself and my relationship with God. The Enneagram leans more towards mysticism and it takes more then just a test and some type explanation. It is more like a map to discover who we really are and how we relate not only to the world but also to God.
