Please take both the spiritual gift test, and enneagram test. Document what you find.
"For many Christians, there’s a lot of mystery and confusion surrounding their spiritual gifts. Most of us have taken at least one spiritual gifts inventory, read books about spiritual gifts, and even heard sermons on the subject, yet we haven’t actually developed our gifts.
Too often, we mistakenly think that understanding our spiritual gifts means simply taking a self-inquiry and asking God to show us what our gift is. But this is only a small part of it.
We need to understand our gifts and God’s unique purpose for our lives so that we can serve others. Spiritual gifts are grace-giving gifts; in other words, they’re no good unless we give them away!
Each gift is a divine enablement that God gives to ordinary people like you and me to build His body so we can function the way God wants us to. This is why we’re called not just to discover our spiritual gifts, but to develop them as well. God wants to use our ordinary life to build into the lives of others."
-- from Chip Ingram
Click on the survey when you are ready to begin. Afterwards, if you are still not sure, ask a close friend or two confirm what you've discovered.
NOTE: Don't spend too much time on each question. And after you complete the survey, you will be asked to provide some personal information. You don't need to provide a phone number or your address. Also, remember to have your results emailed to you so we can review them together.
God created you to be unique. He shaped you in a specific way for a special purpose only you can fulfill.
Pastor Rick Warren from Saddleback Church uses the acrostic SHAPE—Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. These are the five things that make you, you. By examining each of these areas, you’ll begin to understand what God wants you to do with your life. Take your pick. Click on the YouTube link to watch Rick detail SHAPE on Oprah in a four-minute segment. It's well done. Or click on the brief SHAPE article,. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHU8CZMWIbc
...and it has helped me relate to others better too. Who knew there were other ways of seeing and solving problems? And other ways to approach life in general?
Disclaimer up front: Of course, not everything it predicted fit who we are, but it was still valuable to study our surveys and discuss what did fit.
If you already know your Enneagram number, just click on the second link below. Locate and review what is written about your number.
NOTE: Waynesburg University's counseling department has most of their students who come into their offices take an Enneagram test as part of their initial discussions.
I wish I had known about this topic when I was in my 20s. It sure would have made my life less stressful, as well as my coworkers', my peers, AND especially my wife's! I am ashamed to admit it but until I was in my early 30s, I was very confident that my (left-brained) opinions were accurate. If you disagreed with me, then I thought my main job was to show you where you were wrong. Uh...in hindsight, as you can imagine, that didn't turn out so well sometimes.
What a shock to realize that there were multiple ways to both "see" the problem and also to "solve" it. My confidence was shattered for a while. I swear it was at least three weeks before I recovered it. At least that's how long Shirley said I actually practiced "active listening" with her. But seriously, this is a crucial topic we need to grasp. It affects all our relationships, and it will dramatically help you better understand yourself and others.
NOTE: You will probably be seeing this (or something like it) again. Employers are using this more often. I know a commercial trucking firm that spends $300 on an outside survey which includes an Enneagram test for EVERY applicant after their second interview. When you think about it, this is cheap compared to hiring the wrong person for the job.
In addition to what you find here, seek out a few people who have a good handle on this topic as part of your lifelong discipleship.
The next three paragraphs are from the Enneagram Institute website. This is where I'll be sending you to take a free test. NOTE: Your results might display a few items that don't fit you. We are all unique, so don't feel you are being "boxed in."
The Enneagram refers to the nine different types or styles, with each representing a worldview and archetype that resonates with the way people think, feel and act in relation to the world, others and themselves. It is much more than a personality profile that offers insight into core personality traits, as it delves deeper into the core motivations, defense mechanisms and fears that often lie in the unconscious layers of our personality structure.
Your Enneagram core type is like a home base from which we make sense of individuation, integration and development. Other words used to describe the idea of ‘type’ include resonance, identification, lens, perspective or style. It is important to keep in mind that different Enneagram styles may display similar behavior.
The Enneagram styles are not based on behavior alone, and outward behavior can be deceiving when exploring the Enneagram. To distinguish between styles, it is important to access motivation – to explore why a person chooses to act in a certain way and why acting in that way is valued by that individual.
Ready to dig in? https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON YOUR ENNEAGRAM NUMBER, you'll find some great info here. Just click on this link and scroll until you see your number. https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions
REPORTING IN:
So, what are your spiritual gifts and did anything surprise you? Have you thought about developing those gifts before? Would you like any ideas on how to do that?
Regarding the Enneagram test, if you've taken something similar before, did this test further confirm what you already knew? Why or why not? If you haven't done something like this before, how accurate was the description of your temperament?
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