The last 3 weeks we’ve gone through 6 of the 9 Enneagram coping mechanisms, the sin behind these behaviors, how this is a hunger for God, and how the gospel speaks to that hunger. If you’ve missed any of the weeks, I suggest listening to them online on GHFC facebook because these lessons build on each other.
Today, there are two handouts. There’s the first handout, which summarizes all we’ve been going over. The second is songs and practices for growth. The practices for growth was put together by Jan Johnson. She was the teacher of the Enneagram conference that I first attended. And she gave me permission to pass this out.
These practices include the behavior of our arrows of security, which was what Murrie Alcorn asked about last week, these arrows within the Enneagram point to how each number might behave when feeling secure. But I hesitate to give these out because our tendency is to try to achieve these things outwardly while staying a rebel inside. This means the 7 will try to make these exercises positive experiences. The 6 will try to comply and trust these activities for their security. The 4 will put their feelings front and center while doing these activities. And the 8 will see all these activities as a challenge to conquer.
Can we really do anything to change ourselves without slipping back into our coping methods? Let’s get to that at the end.
The 8: The Challenger
So today we’re going to go over the Gut or Strength Center: the 8, 9 and 1’s. These are the people who most value and feel a need for God’s power. Let’s start with the 8’s.
The 8: The Challenger
So today we’re going to go over the Gut or Strength Center: the 8, 9 and 1’s. These are the people who most value and feel a need for God’s power. Let’s start with the 8’s.
The 8’s value and feel the need to be an opposing force in the world. The world all seems to be going one way and the 8’s want to challenge it, to find loopholes, to yank back the curtain and reveal what’s really going on: hence the name: the Challengers. In fact, they’re probably going to challenge everything I’m about to say. “No, we’re not. Not everything.”
8’s are the tough guys, the bad boys, the survivors, and they feel like they HAVE to be because this world is dangerous, and softies and wimps don’t make it. You either eat or be eaten, and nobody ain’t gonna eat an 8. They are masters of their fate and captains of their souls.
Thus, their primary sin is a lust to control. Think of this as shamelessness—not respecting the dignity, privacy, or freewill of other people. It’s an inflamed desire to bring into their sphere of influence by force things that don’t belong to them.
In churches 8’s are generally feared and/or not welcome. People, especially those in leadership, feel 8’s are aggressive, abusive, overbearing, without compassion, and domineering. But to those who are beaten-down or in trouble, they might feel protected by 8’s who often relate with the underdogs. They are one of the more rare Enneagram numbers, more commonly men than women. And women eights are often not called very nice names.
The 8’s are deceived into thinking that they, by their own might, have brought about justice and been their own strong power. But they are merely the axe in God’s hands. It is God who has challenges & conquers our greatest oppressor: sin’s slavery.
The gospel for the Enneagram 8 is that Jesus saved them from having to be a rebel. And Jesus did it NOT through brute strength or forcing people to change, but through surrender to God’s power. Redeemed 8’s trust that God is still at the helm even when they themselves are still or weak. In fact God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. Nothing is going to get to us without first going through Almighty God.
That is the gospel for the Enneagram 8.
The 1: The Reformers
We’re skipping the 9’s and going onto the 1’s, the reformers or perfectionists. 8’s feel the need to challenge and control forces outside themselves; 1’s feel a need to control themselves: that is, choose what they will or won’t do, and for no one else to hold sway over them.
The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective tells the story: “One day a man comes to [a 9 Rabbi] and bitterly complains about his shrewish wife, winding up with the desperate announcement: ‘I’m getting a divorce!’ The rabbi has listened with great attention and sympathy; at the end he nods thoughtfully, ‘Yes, you’re quite right.’ The next day the wife comes to [the Rabbi] and laments her husband’s bad habits. Her tirade likewise ends with the threat, ‘I’m getting a divorce!’ Once again the rabbi has listened, and again he nods and says, ‘Yes, you’re right.’ [The Rabbi’s] disciple, who has witnessed both meetings, later takes the rabbi to task: ‘But you can’t tell him today he’s right—and then tell her tomorrow that she’s right. That won’t do.’ Once more the rabbi has listened attentively, and again he nods: ‘Yes, and you’re right too.’”
And here we return to the question I asked at the beginning. How can we change ourselves? We can’t. O Wretched one that I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rm 7:24)
And that suffering spurs us to repentance and surrender and a growth in faith. And after growth don’t forget to tell others what God did for you.
Examples of Famous 8’s: Donald Trump, Winston Churchill, Fidel Castro, Martin Luther King Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, Barbara Walters, Saddam Hussein, Clint Eastwood, Lady Catherine Dieburg from Pride and Prejudice, Captain Marvel. And some people think Sampson in the Bible was an 8.
Remember the 8’s reflection of God’s power is good. It’s not bad to challenge other people or ideas. It is God-like to face our enemies and have courage. But what did God say to the King of Assyria who God used to judge Israel? “Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?” (Is 10:15)
The 8’s are deceived into thinking that they, by their own might, have brought about justice and been their own strong power. But they are merely the axe in God’s hands. It is God who has challenges & conquers our greatest oppressor: sin’s slavery.
The gospel for the Enneagram 8 is that Jesus saved them from having to be a rebel. And Jesus did it NOT through brute strength or forcing people to change, but through surrender to God’s power. Redeemed 8’s trust that God is still at the helm even when they themselves are still or weak. In fact God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. Nothing is going to get to us without first going through Almighty God.
That is the gospel for the Enneagram 8.
The 1: The Reformers
We’re skipping the 9’s and going onto the 1’s, the reformers or perfectionists. 8’s feel the need to challenge and control forces outside themselves; 1’s feel a need to control themselves: that is, choose what they will or won’t do, and for no one else to hold sway over them.
1’s find themselves easier to control when in a controlled environment, so you will find they create very orderly settings for themselves. Their homes, personal attire, the way they express emotions, the way they stand, the way they schedule their lives, their children, their employees, their desks, their cars. They can be all very controlled.
The biggest threat to a 1’s autonomy is other’s rules/expectations/opinions about how they ought to live. When 1’s hear things like “you ought to” or “you should” or “you need to”, it feels like an assault on their freedom, like someone is trying to take away the most precious thing to them: their autonomy. So 1’s try to beat people to the punch by meeting and exceeding all rules. 8’s think of themselves as the bad boys and girls. 1’s think of themselves as being the good boys and girls, self-governed, mature people who are always fair to everybody.
Religious 1’s even try to keep God from telling them what to do by trying to follow all God’s rules. In sermons, the 1’s take special note of admonishments, adding these to their list of expectations to meet. And then they can become anal retentive trying to meet them. Their primary sin is anger or impatience that they haven’t been able to make themselves or anything be perfect yet. But they control their anger, repressing it, holding it prisoner inside themselves.
Examples of people who act like 1’s: Margaret Thatcher, Pope John Paul II, Osama Bin Laden, Michele Obama,, Martha Stewart, Captain America & Thanos in the Avengers, Javert from Le Mes, Hermione from Harry Potter, & Mary Poppins. The pharisees in the Bible are often examples of ones. Paul was most likely a one.
The gospel for the 1’s is yes, the righteous requirement of the law met in Jesus Christ, but it’s more than that. It’s a new order of control. See, the 1’s grow up believing they’re in control of themselves, but the Bible tells us that we are either mastered by the flesh or the spirit. So every time a 1 does the right thing int he flesh, they do it for the wrong reasons—to have autonomy. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But the gospel says, “You, however, 1’s are no longer trapped by your need to control but are freed by the Spirit, if indeed you’ve given the Spirit of God the control in your life. Because if Christ is in you, then even though your old identity is subject to just doing it yourself, the Spirit—because of Jesus’ righteousness—gives you permission to be a child again and make mistakes.” This is an Enneagram-1 rewrite of Romans 8:9-10
A 1 in the flesh tries being master of themselves. A 1 in the Spirit knows who their master is and has surrendered power to God to make them good. God then turns around and gives the power back, a new power, a Holy Spirit power that is patient in the process. When a redeemed 1 choses to do the right thing, they know it’s not them doing it. It’s Jesus, making a new thing in them, and thus, they have hope and joy while learning like a child.
That is the gospel for the Enneagram 1.
The 9’s: The Peacemakers
Lastly, the 9’s, those dear Peacemakers, value and feel the need for peace, this inner equilibrium that they’re content with whatever happens. If 8’s are constantly projecting power out in challenging, and 1’s are constantly focusing power in to reforming, then 9’s avoid power, avoid conflict, avoid bother. 9’s are convinced that if you ignore a problem long enough, it’ll probably go away.
The 9’s: The Peacemakers
Lastly, the 9’s, those dear Peacemakers, value and feel the need for peace, this inner equilibrium that they’re content with whatever happens. If 8’s are constantly projecting power out in challenging, and 1’s are constantly focusing power in to reforming, then 9’s avoid power, avoid conflict, avoid bother. 9’s are convinced that if you ignore a problem long enough, it’ll probably go away.
The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective tells the story: “One day a man comes to [a 9 Rabbi] and bitterly complains about his shrewish wife, winding up with the desperate announcement: ‘I’m getting a divorce!’ The rabbi has listened with great attention and sympathy; at the end he nods thoughtfully, ‘Yes, you’re quite right.’ The next day the wife comes to [the Rabbi] and laments her husband’s bad habits. Her tirade likewise ends with the threat, ‘I’m getting a divorce!’ Once again the rabbi has listened, and again he nods and says, ‘Yes, you’re right.’ [The Rabbi’s] disciple, who has witnessed both meetings, later takes the rabbi to task: ‘But you can’t tell him today he’s right—and then tell her tomorrow that she’s right. That won’t do.’ Once more the rabbi has listened attentively, and again he nods: ‘Yes, and you’re right too.’”
9’s are well-liked and popular because they don’t have hidden agendas. They aren’t trying to get things from people or use people as their security blanket or source of love.Because they don’t have their own agenda, they tend to either: develop an interest for what others are into OR they spend a great amount of energy deadening any highs or lows they might have so they won’t be bothered by anything, which is funny because the result of doing this is exhaustion. When too many demands are made upon them, they can withdraw and seek numbness through TV, eating, or napping in the middle of the day.
The 9’s sin is apathy or sloth, but they, like all the numbers, deceive themselves into thinking it’s a virtue. They just don’t want to rock the boat. They don’t want to bother people, or what they want isn’t important.
Examples of 9’s: Walt Disney, Ronald Regan, Jack Johnson, Mr. Rogers, George W. Bush, Whoopie Goldberg, Janet Jackson, Audrey Hepburn, Morgan Freeman, George Lucas, Jimmy Stewart, Pam in the Office, Olaf from Frozen and Winnie the Pooh, Baloo. Some people think Jonah was a 9: an unwilling prophet. Very concerned with only doing what was easy and comfortable.
More Agreeable Coping Mechanism
Now, you might be thinking at this point that 9’s are way better than 8’s or 1’s. It’s Fidel Castro and Osama Bin Laden versus Walt Disney and Winnie the Pooh. But here’s the deal: The 9’s coping mechanism is just more socially agreeable than the 8’s or 1’s.
More Agreeable Coping Mechanism
Now, you might be thinking at this point that 9’s are way better than 8’s or 1’s. It’s Fidel Castro and Osama Bin Laden versus Walt Disney and Winnie the Pooh. But here’s the deal: The 9’s coping mechanism is just more socially agreeable than the 8’s or 1’s.
When people were asked to quarantine: a 9’s reaction might’ve been like: “Okay, whatever.” A 1’s might’ve said, “I gotta do this so no one criticizes me!” An 8’s might’ve said, “Who’s gonna make me? I challenge all assumptions.”
When Putin started taking over: some 9’s might’ve been like: “What’s happening? Oh, okay. Whatever.” The 1’s might’ve said, “This isn’t right,” and posted criticisms left and right. But the 8’s went to fight.
The point is: everyone’s sin looks different.
The point is: everyone’s sin looks different.
A 9 who takes the path of least resistance is just as guilty of defying the Lord as the 8’s who may shamelessly bulldoze people. Man judges by the outward appearance; God judges the heart. We all desperately need Jesus far more than we ever imagined.
If we believe we’re only marginal sinners, we can only forgive others marginal sins. But if we know that our very personalities are steeped in self-preservation and self-righteousness and self-made contentment, then God himself can enter our personalities and transform them. And then we can give grace to even the ugliest of sinners.
Gospel for the 9’s
The Gospel for the 9’s is the good news that the 9’s don’t have to manufacture their own ambitions or desires or oomph. God’s got that covered.God has a role for the 9’s to play in this body of Christ.
You see, while everyone else is trumpeting their favorite value of God—Joy! Righteousness! Obedience! Wisdom! Beauty! Like hitting the same note on the piano over and over again.
Gospel for the 9’s
The Gospel for the 9’s is the good news that the 9’s don’t have to manufacture their own ambitions or desires or oomph. God’s got that covered.God has a role for the 9’s to play in this body of Christ.
You see, while everyone else is trumpeting their favorite value of God—Joy! Righteousness! Obedience! Wisdom! Beauty! Like hitting the same note on the piano over and over again.
God made the 9’s to deeply desire all the notes of the piano to play in harmony with each other. That is, to play out their virtue at the appropriate time, according to the grand conductor who is God. But the 9’s can only have this marvelous cohesion called peace in and outside themselves by giving up their desire to avoid and joining God’s plan. God has a part for you!
“Awake Oh Sleeper! And arise from the dead and the Lord will shine on you.” Eph 5:14 When 9’s give themselves over to God’s action, they can be a peace bringing in their actions and speaking up and equipping others so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith. (Eph 4:12-13)
That is the Gospel for the Enneagram 9’s.
VII. Don’t Beat Yourself Up
So that’s all. We’ve covered all 9 coping mechanisms. Did you see yourself anywhere?
VII. Don’t Beat Yourself Up
So that’s all. We’ve covered all 9 coping mechanisms. Did you see yourself anywhere?
Ebert and Rohr say in their book The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective, that we resort to our coping behavior once every ten minutes. And maybe you’ve reached a higher spiritual level than me, but when I first started noticing how often I resorted to my coping methods, it was depressing. It was like all day long.And when I tried to change myself, I just found myself analyzing my own analyzing.
And here we return to the question I asked at the beginning. How can we change ourselves? We can’t. O Wretched one that I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rm 7:24)
Do you remember when Eustace in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader is turned into a dragon and Aslan tells him that in order to become a human again, he must take off his dragon skin. And so Eustace tries to peel off his skins, but each time he does, he finds a new skin underneath. Eustace can’t take off his own skin. He needed Aslan claws to dig deep into the heart. Likewise, we need God’s help to get to the heart of the matter. We need a new self that believes: “Lord, you are able. I am not.”
But we don’t need to beat ourselves up for failing again and again. Remember, Christ died so it’s okay to be a beginner at being Christ-like. Jesus already won us the 1st place medal of being human. We’re in!
Also, the Lord meets us where we are. God met Paul in his 1-ness. In letting Paul meet all the supposed righteous requirements of the law and then showing Paul how to count that as rubbish compared to knowing Christ. The Lord met David in his agony of emotions—his 4ness. In fact David’s agony of emotions became the models we use for dialogue with God. Jesus met Peter in his Peter-ness, his 6-ness confronting Peter about his fears, telling Peter the hard truth, letting Peter have a denial do-over. God meets us where we are, if we are willing to give up everything to him.
I can testify that God has met me in my 5-ness. He has explained and analyzed so much for me. But he has also asked me to move forward in faith now. Move to action.
VIII. People and Suffering
So what next? What do we do with all this? Sure, you could do these growth exercises on the Handout. I’ve also listed some hymns for each number, which point us towards who God is and who we can become through faith in Jesus.
VIII. People and Suffering
So what next? What do we do with all this? Sure, you could do these growth exercises on the Handout. I’ve also listed some hymns for each number, which point us towards who God is and who we can become through faith in Jesus.
But you know what’s neat, we don’t have to go looking for growth. God has programmed challenging situations into our lives already: Erik Thoennes told a story at Forest Home Family Camp this last year. He was talking with Ajith Fenando who is the teaching director for Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka. Erik asked Ajith what was a blind spot in the USA church. Ajith immediately said, “You have no theology of church groaning” meaning a theology of suffering. Erik asked, “How can most of us develop a theology of suffering when our lives are so comfortable?” Ajith said, “Oh that’s easy, just stay committed to people, and you will suffer, and so will they.”
And that suffering spurs us to repentance and surrender and a growth in faith. And after growth don’t forget to tell others what God did for you.
“Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.” Psalm 25:4-7
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