Discerning between Good and Evil - The Rev. Dr. Herschel Wade

Let me give you an example. I am a four on the Enneagram. My sin is envy, which originates from seeing myself as fundamentally flawed. Others possess “things” that I do not and cannot possess. As a result, we go out of our way to be different; we do so to be loved and to feel significant. We are called “The Individualists.” A strong drive to be different has sometimes been counterproductive, resulting in self-inflicted isolation and loneliness. Self-image is sometimes a problem, so much so that my talents did not cross my mind until now. 

 

You can see that my work has been cut out for me when it comes to discernment. Discerning poorly may have left me stuck in self-pitying, self-destructive, and self-absorbed states of envy. However, with continued work and discernment, type fours such as myself can shed the sin-attached false self who is always longing to be loved, to be enough, to be loved by God for who I am.