How To Choose Christ's Will for Your Life

With full access to the Self Compass, comes more freedom to choose Christ's will for your life.  

Instead of a single compass point rigidly exaggerated, there are four that rhythmically embrace the entire personality, yielding 360 degrees of creative choice in intrapsychic and interpersonal behavior. You find a freedom to choose which compass point is needed in a given situation. 

You recognize manipulative behavior and grow a “pure heart” in Christ, relatively free of ulterior motives (1 Pet 1:22).

Self Compass Living

Take, for example, a person choosing to outgrow the Narcissistic Boaster personality pattern by movement into the Weakness compass point:

• “Maybe I am not quite the prize I like others to think I am.”
• “Perhaps others are as entitled as I am to a seat on the subway.”
• “I could tell my co-worker what a good job he did on his presentation.”

This mobilization of love and humility allows them to feel a gentler pride in their accomplishments, now freed from the craving to be admired.

Out of this process surfaces the virtue of autonomy: a sense of independent self-governance without the edge of narcissism. With it evolves a more democratic leadership style that encourages others by offering constructive input.

• Redeemed Boasters use the self-confidence so evident in their own behavior to show esteem for others: building them up, rather than disdaining them. 
• The value of interdependence grows clear as they receive appreciation for group contributions, and in turn affirms and compliments others.
• Self-regard and poise grow more out of surrender to God than to our former conceit.

For every redeemed personality pattern, then, Self Compass living offers a rich behavioral repertoire grounded by the LAWS of personality as evidenced in Christ’s earthly life. 

The growing person functions within the certainty of these LAWS and grows more Christlike in the process. Yet each individual is free to uncover the unique stamp of his or her ineffable style.

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How comforting to know there is a compass of righteousness that clearly defines growth and wholeness in the Lord. Jesus says, “Those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God” (Jn 3:21). 

This is done imperfectly. Indeed, the self-correcting polarities of Love/Assertion and Weakness/Strength account for such fallibility. But when combined with a core reliance on the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, these rhythmic polarities yield a Self Compass for living, the Trinity way.

For more, read: 

COMPASS PSYCHOTHEOLOGY:

Where Psychology & Theology Really Meet 

 

How Compass Virtues Replace Personality Patterns

There is a curious paradox rooted in our personality patterns (personality disorders). Every one of these patterns possesses a particular virtue unique to that pattern. Yet it is only accessible by embracing your whole Self Compass. If you have been stuck on the Assertion compass point in the Rule-breaker pattern, for example, it is only by embracing the caring of the Love compass point that you reap the virtue of creativity inherent in the Antisocial Rule-breaker pattern. 

Virtue of Creativity

 

Why? Because true creativity requires caring for others. Without it, creativity deteriorates into manipulative ploys to deceive. But once Rule-breakers reach for the Love compass point, energy used for deception shifts to creative enhancement of other’s lives as well as sincere self-expression.

As rigid patterns fall away, in their stead comes the harvest of your labor: Compass virtues. Virtues that can now sprout forth as fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). This is because you are surrendering your patterns to the Lord.

The Dependent Pleaser and Histrionic Storyteller patterns yield to the Love compass point virtues of charity and good cheer. The Paranoid Arguer and Antisocial Rule-breaker patterns give way to the Assertion compass point virtues of courage and creativity. The Avoidant Worrier and Schizoid Loner patterns transform into the Weakness compass point virtues of empathy and objectivity. And the Narcissistic Boaster and Compulsive Controller patterns find wholeness in the Strength compass point virtues of autonomy and discipline.

Compass Virtues

 

The rhythmic and self-correcting polarities of Love, Assertion, Weakness and Strength—combined with a deep reliance on Christ—support your transformation from the inside out. Notice how a person’s trust in God replaces the fear produced by personality patterns when you “trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Prov 3:5).

For The Dependent Pleaser Pattern

When nurturing others' well-being is combined with the willingness to stand up for your needs and confront unfairness, the capacity for healthy love, untinged with resentment, grows. 

By exercising the Strength compass point, you develop confidence in your personal power and loving concern for others, realizing that you really count in the world. Instead of automatically disowning compliments, recovering Pleasers are finally comfortable receiving them. You humbly accept your imperfections, knowing that God and others love you as you are.  

With the full use of the Self Compass comes the authentic virtue of charity, uniquely expressed by each redeemed Pleaser:

• Sensitive and sympathetic.
• Doesn’t need the limelight.
• A good listener and follower.
• Tender and talented in care for children.
• Quick to forgive. 
• Compromises easily.
• Is kind and helpful.             

For more, read:

COMPASS PSYCHOTHEOLOGY"

Where Psychology & Theology Really Meet