First Line of Defense
- The Narrow Path
- Aug 12, 2022
- 3 min read
I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours (John 17:9, ESV).
A couple of years ago, I was into the Enneagram, a personality test that is designed to help us better understand the source of our motivation. Disclaimer: Though I believe the Enneagram can be a very valuable and useful tool, it does not diminish, replace, or rise above the truths and promises of the Lord found in the Word of God.
After doing a lot of reading, research, and taking the personality test, I discovered that I am a Type 2, which is defined by Your Enneagram Coach as The Nurturing Supporter. The Enneagram Coach says, “Type 2s are people who see the world through relationships and define themselves through their service to others1.”
Anybody who knows me well at all can affirm that, though this definition is not all-encompassing, it does provide some quick insight into how the Lord designed my heart. My relationships are the greatest joys of my life, and my desire to serve others has always been a primary motivator in my life.
Though my love of relationships and service to others are a gift from the Lord, they can quickly become a source of dependency, manipulation, or pride that is not of the Lord, but of the enemy. I am so grateful for how the Lord has allowed me to use this information, in conjunction with Christian counseling and a dependence on Biblical truths, to better understand the root of my thoughts, words, and actions.
I am fully and completely loved by Jesus. I am made whole because I am a daughter of the One True King. When I remember these foundational, Biblical truths, I am able to lean into the Holy Spirit, and seek His guidance when it comes to the best way to serve and love others. My tendency is to rescue, to help, to fix. Though my intention is wholesome, if I’m not careful, I can allow self-idolatry to replace prayer as my first line of defense when it comes to loving and serving my people.
It has taken me a long time to grasp the importance of this truth in my life. However, since doing so, my life has been changed for the better, forever. When I lean into prayer as my first line of defense, I am able keep my sinful tendencies in check while remaining open to however the Lord may lead me to serve those I love.
John 17:9 says: I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. As a follower of Jesus, my call, with a heart designed toward love of relationships and service to others, is to lean into prayer and remind myself that the ones I love ultimately belong to the Lord, not to me. Though I must continually be mindful of my tendencies toward dependency and pride, I have discovered the freedom that is found in making prayer my first line of defense. And that has changed everything.
1. “Enneagram Type Two: The Supportive Advisor: Your Enneagram Coach.” Enneagram Type Two | The Supportive Advisor | Your Enneagram Coach. Accessed June 24, 2022. https://www.yourenneagramcoach.com/type2.
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