The Any-What?

In recent years the Enneagram has become a popular tool for understanding personality differences. The name comes from the geometric figure created by the nine personality types. The origins of the system are debated, but there is some indication that parts of it go back several centuries, perhaps even to the original “seven deadly sins.” Some Christians label the Enneagram as dangerous or demonic, but that is a stretch. There are a number of Christian organizations that use the Enneagram in counseling, coaching, and teaching. However, it has also been labeled a pseudoscience because it is so subjective. My efforts here are simply to share a few observations from things I’ve read and heard from such sources.

No tool is infallible. Every personality test, spiritual gifts inventory, and aptitude test is a creation of man and therefore limited in understanding. Whether you’re using the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, or DISC, you may find some useful information, but it’s going to miss a lot because each of us is unique. And even though it may tell you how you tend to respond to various scenarios, it probably won’t tell you why that’s the case.

It can be easy to delve so deep into understanding the tool that you don’t actually benefit from it, and you may end up wasting a lot of time that could be better spent in the spiritual disciplines. With the Enneagram in particular, there are types, subtypes, wings, and arrows that all have different meanings and implications for individuals. Some podcasters can sound quite dogmatic in describing these, as if it is a mathematical certainty that A+B+C=D for every person. All that should be taken with a grain of salt. It would be more accurate to say that every person has a bit of all nine Enneagram types, though one or two will be dominant. From those generalities, you can make some personal applications.

Personality profiles should not be used as an excuse for bad behavior or to put anyone in a box. “I’m a 5 and ISTJ, so that’s just the way I am.” At times that may be equivalent to saying, “I’m just a sinner, so leave me alone!” Your personality type does not define you, nor does it keep you from growing and changing. Knowing about your personality traits can be helpful if it shows you areas where you may need help, humility, and perhaps even repentance. It can alert you to times when you are reacting to particular situations out of anger, anxiety, or shame, rather than fully trusting God and loving others. When you are aware of your tendencies toward sin or unhealthy reactions, you can take those issues to Scripture, to God, and to other Christians who can help you learn better ways of coping with stress and temptation.

In addition, these tools can also help groups relate better to one another. We all tend to make assumptions about how others will react to a situation, and we may even try to assign motives to them. But if we remember that John is an external processor and Sue is an internal processor, we’re more likely to give them some grace when they don’t immediately agree on a plan. Or if we know Tim hates conflict and Sally needs affirmation that she’s doing a good job, we’ll try harder to encourage them as best we can.

Everyone wants to feel that they are known and loved for who they are, not shamed into trying to be something different. We also want to feel we are not alone. I was particularly encouraged by a podcast discussion between a few Enneagram 5s as they voiced things I have often thought but never dared say aloud. As C.S. Lewis put it, “What? You too? I thought I was the only one.” Opening doors to deeper discussions is often a necessity in Christian community. It’s all too easy to keep one another at a distance out of fear or laziness.

God knows our hearts far better than we do, and He’s always working to conform us to the image of Christ. Personality tests may be one tool, among many others, that can point us in that direction, assuming they are used wisely and in submission to Scripture. They certainly cannot replace sound biblical teaching and counsel within the Body of Christ as God intended.

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thess. 5:11).

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Behold the Lamb

Those of us in the Christian church probably don’t give as much attention to Passover as we ought. Have you ever imagined what that night was like? God commanded that each household paint the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of the house to mark it as a home of faithful Jews. They were then to eat the lamb that night, but this was no leisurely meal.

“In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt” (Ex. 12:11-13).

They were to eat it while ready to leave at a moment’s notice. They may not have had much appetite for the meal before them. Perhaps they heard a rushing wind as the destroyer came through. The Jews may have had Egyptian neighbors whose firstborn sons were dying. They may have heard the wailing increasing through the land. They probably didn’t sleep much as they wondered what the coming day would bring.

Fast forward more than a millennium, and now the disciples are celebrating Passover with Jesus, not realizing this was what would come to be known as the Last Supper. This time the meal appears to be pretty laid back. Jesus makes some odd comments about betrayal and denial and death, but the disciples don’t get it. When they go out to the Garden to pray, the disciples are relaxed enough to fall asleep. But then, quite literally, all hell breaks loose and the disciples run away to save their own skins.

Back in Egypt, God had said that the blood of a lamb was necessary to protect His people from physical death. Now at Gethsemane the Lamb of God sheds His blood to redeem His people from spiritual death. The road to the original Promised Land began with the shedding of the blood of lambs. The road to our eternal Promised Land began with the shedding of Jesus’ blood.

The first Passover was a dark night that resulted in the miraculous release of the Jews from slavery. Holy Saturday was a dark day for the disciples as they wondered what had gone wrong and what would come next. But Easter Sunday turned their sorrow and fear into rejoicing, and within just a few weeks they were proclaiming salvation through the risen Lord Jesus Christ to anyone who would believe.

We still experience some dark times in life. We still have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But now we have the assurance that there is a glorious resurrection day coming for all who follow Christ. Because Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1: 29), we have the assurance that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Because Jesus is our Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep (Jn. 10:11), we need not fear evil and we can trust that “goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps. 23:6).

Thank You, Father, for providing the Lamb!

“Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let Your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:9-11).

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Groaning Together

A recent podcast from CCEF talked about dealing with discouragement. I appreciated it in part because they never said “Discouragement is unbiblical, so just get over it!” Instead, they spoke about it as a normal part of the Christian life in a broken world. In particular, I was encouraged by the observation that was made by Gunner Gundersen:

“I love how in Romans 8 you have the creation that is groaning in verse 22, and then in verse 23 you have, ‘we who have the first fruits of the Spirit are groaning inwardly’ for our final redemption. And then near the end, this is what’s shocking to me in verse 26, ‘the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.’ And that shared groaning, as the Spirit is interceding for us and pleading for all things to be made new finally, including us.”

In other words, groaning is normal and can even be a spiritual exercise. Now not every groan is good. Sometimes our groaning turns into grumbling. And just groaning to ourselves or to others may not necessarily be helpful. But if our groans turn us to God and His Word, then there is profit there. The things in this world that cause us to groan can be reminders to us that this world is not how it was intended to be, and one day the world and the children of God will be made new again.

The ESV Bible uses variations of the word groaning 40 times. The first appears in Exodus 2:23-24:

“During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.”

God had never forgotten the people of Israel. Verse 25 says, “God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.” He knew exactly what was happening to them, but He also knew what He was about to do to reveal His power to the world and to send them on their way to the Promised Land. God has not forgotten us either. He hears each groan and collects each tear that falls. The Holy Spirit groans along with us as He intercedes for our endurance, encouragement, and eventual deliverance from the brokenness of this world.

As we groan, we don’t know what God may be planning to do in the near future. There may be some display of His power in delivering the persecuted, or freeing those bound in sin. There could be evidence of His healing the sick in miraculous ways. Or it may be in the less visible—but no less important—sustaining power in the lives of those who are weak and weary.

I’m reminded of Joni Eareckson Tada and the decades that she has spent in a wheelchair. She has undoubtedly uttered many groans, but God continues to use her testimony to encourage people around the world. I think of many other people who may not be world famous, but they are known by their communities as those who are continuing to endure the thorns and thistles of this life even as they long for God to bring the final victory over sin, suffering, sorrow, and the grave.

I too groan and wonder what God is waiting for, but I take heart in knowing that I’m not alone. Not only are there many people in the same boat, but the Holy Spirit comes alongside us, Jesus Christ experienced the same weaknesses and suffered even to the point of death on a cross, and God the Father hears each cry and already has plans for redeeming the suffering of His saints. With the Holy Trinity on our side, we can endure a while longer, knowing that there is mercy and grace to help us in our time of need (Heb. 4:16).

“Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray... But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may exult in You” (Psalm 5:1-2, 11).

***

See also these songs of lament:

How Long, O Lord? by Jordan Kauflin

How Long, O Lord, How Long? by Sovereign Grace Music

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Just a Little Faith

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:5-6, similar to a statement Jesus made about mountains in Matt. 17:20).

If you’re like me, you may be thinking “I guess I need more faith, because I haven’t moved any trees or mountains.” As I was dwelling on this lately, a few pieces came together for me. The first is that faith itself is a gift. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one my boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). We didn’t drum up the faith that saved us. God alone gets the glory for that.

In addition, God already moved the biggest mountain—our need for salvation. Our sin against the Holy God separated us from Him and led to our condemnation, but Jesus came to die on our behalf and bring us back into relationship with God. Since God has already done that, there is no mountain we need to move. He gives us the faith to believe in Him for what He has accomplished for us.

It has often been said that it’s not the size of your faith, but where your faith is placed that matters. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Our life is found in ‘looking unto Jesus’ (Heb. 12:2), not in looking to our own faith. By faith all things become possible to us, yet the power is not in the faith but in the God in whom faith relies.” We may be tempted to place our faith in the exercise of faith rather than placing our faith in God. That may in fact be our motivation behind desiring more faith. If my faith were strong enough and visible enough, then I’d never be shaken by the uncertainties of life, right? And yet it is the testing of our faith that develops endurance. Some people may have unshakeable faith in their own egos.

A confused idea of faith can also lead us to pass judgment on those who don’t measure up to our standards. Do we think we know who has “real” saving faith? So did the Pharisees. God alone knows the heart. This article from TGC urges pastors at funerals, “Avoid casually declaring someone’s eternal destiny” (Matt. 7:21-23).” Not everyone who does great works actually has faith in God, and not everyone who appears to be irretrievably fallen is necessarily faithless.

When Paul and Silas were asked what salvation required, they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). They didn’t say, “Believe this specific set of doctrines, work hard to get rid of all visible sin, and look like one of us, and then you will be saved.” The thief on the cross only knew enough to plead “Remember me!” and Jesus assured him of salvation (Luke 23:43).

Paul said of himself, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim. 1:15). That’s present tense, not past tense—not “I was the foremost.” And John reminded us, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). So how can we set a high bar for others without condemning ourselves too? God’s grace and mercy often far exceed our own, and church culture can be intimidating for those who are different from the “norm.”

There are many factors that influence someone’s ability to look like a faithful Christian. We may be confused about doctrines. We may still fall into sin in embarrassing ways. We may struggle to manage the basic tasks of life in this world, much less engage in spiritual disciplines. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we aren’t saved. Given the number of high-profile Christian leaders who have fallen into disgrace in recent years, I don’t think most of us are very good judges of the heart of man, because we simply don’t know what’s going on beneath the surface.

Thankfully, “the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7b). Our faith may be small, but if God gave it to us then it’s all we need!

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.