Spiritual Personalities

Knowledge of The Personalities comes in handy in our everyday lives, but did you know they can help us understand our spiritual side? Where are we weak? What spiritual strengths do we naturally exhibit? Today we are going to explore the different aspects of our spiritual personalities.

Popular/Playful Sanguine: Sanguine people are drawn to the happy parts of Christianity because their basic desire is to have fun. They approach their belief asking, "Are we having fun yet?" It's not unusual to see a sanguine doing the fun things around the church like planning celebrations for the entire congregation or their Sunday school class and organizing vacation Bible school. They see God as an affectionate Father and their Best Friend; that's because sanguine personalities are, themselves, affectionate and love everyone.

Their spiritual strength is grace: "God is faithful; by him your were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9, NRSV).

A sanguine desiring a close relationship with God benefits by:

• not giving up when things get difficult.
• getting involved in a small group study for accountability.
• organizing or teaching a study.
• participating in enjoyable activities around the church.
• reading Christian fiction.

Powerful Choleric: Since the choleric personality thrives when they have control and they tend to be the workers around church. They want to get things done and aren't afraid to get their hands dirty if required by their mission. They tend to be big participants in church work days and are the busy bees who keep the church functioning. It's not unusual to find church boards filled with choleric people. They tend to see God as someone they have to fight for control; it isn't as easy for a choleric to "let go and let God" as it is for the other personalities.

Their spiritual strength is justification: "Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4, NRSV).

A choleric person pursuing God benefits from:

• having a prayer partner.
• slowing down and having quiet time.
• using short devotional books with clear concepts.
• setting spiritual goals, not just human ones.

Perfect/Proper Melancholy: Melancholy personalities constantly strive to do things right. When if comes to life in general, as well as their spiritual lives, their mantra is, "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right." They love beautiful ceremonies when it comes to worship and will bask in the moment if they are particularly moved. They also take their relationship with God seriously and are inclined to reverence God more than the other three personality types. As a result, they strive to live their lives according to the guidelines set by God.

A melancholy person's natural spiritual strength is knowledge: "If you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding; then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:3, 5, NRSV).

When seeking a relationship with God, a melancholy person needs to:

• relax.
• allow ideals to be tempered with wisdom, knowledge, and compassion.
• learn to be forgiving of self and others.
• seek a quiet place to spend with God.

Peaceful Phlegmatic: Phlegmatic personalities approach life with a very laid back attitude and their spiritual life is no different. They don't tend to be legalistic but, they often find it hard to be committed to spiritual matters like Bible study, church committees, and church attendance. They see God as a place of rest and comfort.

The spiritual strength of this personality is accepting the sovereignty of God: "to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestine to take place" (Acts 4:28, NRSV).

A phlegmatic person wanting to develop a deeper relationship with God benefits from:

• making a commitment.
• finding time for God that works best in their schedule.
• taking time to ponder spiritual matters.
• creating some traditions or rituals.
• focusing on his or her spiritual walk, not comparing themselves to others.
• adding variety to spiritual routines.

Understanding our spiritual personalities is the key to developing our relationship with God. We are all different and no person is better than the next. Our approach to God is very personal and if we can learn to appreciate who we are when it comes to Christianity, we won't be so hard on ourselves. Additionally, we won't be as inclined to judge others who may approach God in a manner completely different from our own.

Rejoice in our differences and grow closer to God in the process!

(c)2008 Shona Neff