Spirit-Controlled Temperament

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I am in debt to many people in the writing of this book. I have combined my extensive reading on the temperaments and in psychology in general with my observations of people—observations made as pastor and counselor for more than thirty-three years. I’ve gleaned much from the speaking ministry of the biblically based Christian psychologist Henry Brandt. I also drew extensively from Temperament and the Christian Faith by the late Norwegian theologian Dr. Ole Hallesby. Since temperament traits are inherited genetically from our parents, we should keep in mind some of the natural factors that influence them.

I have found the four temperaments to be a tool to help people reach their maximum potential. Among the many different behavior theories—from Transactional Analysis and Freudian theory to the Myers-Briggs sixteen types—I consider it the best and the easiest to understand and use for self-improvement.

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Marcel Zentner, John E. Bates. (2008), Child Temperament: An Integrative Review of Concepts, Research Programs and Measures, European Journal of Developmental Science [EJDS]., Vol. 2, No. 1/2, 7–37. doi: 10.3233/DEV-2008-21203 and

A superb treatment of the basic human temperaments and how God can use them, now revised with new chapters and questions for group study. Spirit-Controlled Temperament by Tim LaHaye – eBook Details While I feel like some of the opinions laced through the book are outdated, I do think that there's particular value for Christians reading the book in the sections on temperament weaknesses, the fruit of the Spirit, how to be filled with the Spirit, and spirit-modified temperaments. The scripture and wisdom offered for the discussion on each weakness/fruit can apply regardless of whether you agree or not with the temperament formulations themselves, given that all Christians have weaknesses to overcome and a Spirit-filled life to grow into. The apostle Paul put into words the heart-cry of despair felt by all sincere people who lament their weaknesses of temperament: O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom. 7:24). His answer is electrifying, I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! (v. 25). Three days later John called and said he wanted twelve hundred more! It seems he had given one to Hal Lindsey, teaching for Campus Crusade at the time, and asked him to recommend it. Hal crawled into bed that night and read it before he went to sleep. The next morning he held it up in class and said, I just read the neatest little book. You ought to read it. The first three hundred were gone in one afternoon. Thus the call for twelve hundred more. My second private printing was for three thousand, which I assumed would last the rest of my life. Spirit-Controlled Temperament was a slow read for me. I began it around September of 2020 and have only in the last few months continued reading it in earnest. It was such a satisfying feeling to finally finish it. Now, all of this is not to say that it’s not a good read. On the contrary, when I would really devote myself to reading it, I actually quite enjoyed it and got a lot of help out of it. I learned from this book that I am a Mel-phleg. As a Mel-phleg, I struggle with much fear, laziness, and depressive tendencies. However, Spirit-Controlled Temperament helped me to see that despite these things I can be filled by the Holy Spirit and live a victorious Christian life. I can actually even be used by God. This book was really convicting to me in the ways that I give in to the bad traits of my temperament.Shiner, R. L., Buss, K. A., McClowry, S. G., Putnam, S. P., Saudino, K. J., & Zentner, M. (2012). What is temperament now? Assessing progress in temperament research on the Twenty‐Fifth anniversary of goldsmith et al. (1987). Child Development Perspectives, 6(4), 436-444. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00254.x As I read through the initial presentation of the four basis temperaments, I was thinking it seemed much too simplistic to be realistic. But as the book proceeds to explaining the different combinations of temperaments and what those combinations looks like, it really starts to hit home. I would place this book, along with The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman, into the must read category for any marriage. Or for any parent for that matter. Bottom line Oh, how I wish my husband and I had read this early on in our marriage. As we've grown in the Lord, our marriage has grown so much sweeter, but how this would have helped early on. So many things that caused anger and hurt would have been avoided with some basic understanding of each other's temperament. There is nothing more fascinating about people than their inherited temperament! It is temperament that provides each human being with the distinguishing qualities that make each as individually unique as the differing designs God has given to snowflakes. Temperament is the unseen force underlying human action, a force that can destroy a normal and productive human being unless it is disciplined and directed.

Personality is the outward expression of oneself, which may or may not be the same as a person’s character, depending on how genuine that person is.

At the moment of our conception we all inherited a basic genetic temperament that contains both our strengths and our weaknesses. This temperament is called several things in the Bible: the natural man, the flesh, the old man, and corruptible flesh, to name a few. It is the basic impulse of our being that seeks to satisfy our wants. To properly understand the temperament’s control of our actions and reactions, we should define three terms and carefully distinguish among them: temperament, character, and personality. dingbat In conclusion, Spirit-Controlled Temperament shows the “modified” temperaments — how our natural personality looks when it’s Spirit-controlled. The Spirit-filled Sanguine will show a strength of character in the self-control that she needs in her life. The Spirit-filled Choleric will be dynamic in her love, peace, gentleness, and goodness. The Spirit-filled Melancholy will have a joy and peace which will revolutionize his outlook on life. And the Spirit-filled Phlegmatic will become less stubborn, fearful, and indifferent, while becoming more open, self-controlled, and much more motivated, to make a great, personable leader for Christ.