Christianity and the Enneagram Podcast Number 8 - The Challenger

In order to understand the first few minutes of this podcast, you need to know that our pastor came on stage bound head to foot in wire. Our sermons are highly visual and so we encourage you to join us live on Sunday mornings. Today is the first in our series “Honest to God: The bible, the Enneagram, and why you do the things you do” The goal of this series to help you get a better understanding of yourself and others, to see what things truly motivate and control you, and to learn how to walk away from old unhealthy patterns into the full life God is calling you to. Today we explore our first Enneagram personality type – The “Challenger.” See the show notes for more details.

A few key points about the Enneagram Model

• None of the 9 Personality types is “Better” or “Worse” than any other
• Each Personality Type tends toward particular: Gifts & Talents, Needs & Desires, Sins & Fears, Ways we like to do life, unhealthy Temptations
• It can be shaming or liberating to discover your Personality type
• There is a range from healthy to unhealthy forms of every Personality type and we can go from one extreme to the other on a daily basis
• Take this model with a grain of salt, and focus on “Why do I behave the way I do?”
• My Goal: To love God & neighbor better – with my kind of crazy
  
  

Summary of the “Challenger” Personality Type

Primary Need: The need to be against    
Self Image: “I am strong”  “You’ve got to be tough”
Core Desire: To protect themselves from others, be in control
Core Fear: Being Controlled by others/out of control            
Wants to avoid: Weakness
Primary Temptation: A feeling of Justice that leads to Revenge
Root sin: shamelessness, lust for intensity

Challengers believe they must control their environment and people in order to get what they want. As a result, Challengers tend to have problems with anger and with allowing themselves to be open and vulnerable.

ROMANS 12:18-21

If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

STEPS A “CHALLENGER” CAN TAKE:

1.  Too often, your intensity and list for life runs the show. Your personality is twice as big and intense as you think it is, and what feels like passion to you often feels like intimidation to others. Remember moderation, moderation, moderation. Give a friend permission to tell you when you’re going overboard or exhibiting extreme behaviors.
   
   
2. Don’t judge yourself or others as weak for sharing tender feelings. Broaden your definition of strength and courage to include vulnerability. Risk sharing your heart at deeper levels with someone in your life. Practice offering mercy.
   
   
3. Avoid black and white thinking. Gray is an actual color. You don’t have a corner on the truth market. In the heat of battle, stop and ask yourself, “What if I’m’ wrong? Say that a hundred times a day. Practice admitting when you are wrong.
   
   

This series draws heavily from “The Road Back to You” by Cron and Stabile

Video Credit: The Coaching Room – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-sXmZTeB7U
Music Credit: Star Trek Deep Space Nine Beyond the Stars
For more resources, go to www.Leverington.org