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A Lesson from the Peaceful Phlegmatic

Published by Angela | Filed under Uncategorized, Personalities

Galatians 6:4-5“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given and then sink yourself into that. “  

Have you ever heard of a state of being verb?  I’m sure you’re wondering what in the world does this have to do with personality or our identity in Christ?  Hold on, I’ll get there.  There are eight state of being verbs – am, is, are, was, were, be, being, and been.  State of being verbs are linking verbs.  They connect the subject with information about the subject. 

Tonight in our Advanced Personality Training Seminar Kathryn Robbins  of Personality Principles  said that the Peaceful Phlegmatic is sometimes not appreciated because they are not people of action but are like “state of being verbs.”  The Phlegmatic just is.  They are in a constant state of being.  There is not a flurry of activity, frivolity, achievement or analyzing as with the other personalities.  They just “are.”    

We need to appreciate them for who they are, who they are being, have been, will be, were, was and are. They are peace. They are calm, cool and collected.  They have been there for us.  They will be there. They are flexible and adaptable.  They are steady and stable, friendly and relating. They are listening, observing and adjusting to everyone around them.  They will be faithful. 

Maybe the rest of us could learn a lesson from the Phlegmatic – “being comes before doing.”    In Christianity the Sanguines and Cholerics are so busy doing that they forget to just be with Jesus.  We concentrate on learning, achieving, cheerleading but forget being, relating and resting in God’s love.  It’s the being that gives substance to our flurry of activity.  The Perfect, Proper Melancholy may get so bogged down with analyzing and getting it right that the relationship aspect is obscured or laden with oughts. 

When Moses ask God who he should tell Pharaoh had sent him God said, “I AM that I AM.”    He didn’t quote a list of his accomplishments,  powerful conquests or wisdom.  He just let them know that the great I AM is present and being. God is and then acts out of  Who He is.      

  

Maybe we should do as The Message says, “Find out who we are“ and just be it; the work will come out of the being.  What do you think?

September 7th, 2007


2 Responses to “A Lesson from the Peaceful Phlegmatic”

  1. Melanie Says:
    September 11th, 2007 at 10:00 am

    Thanks fcr giving me another reason to appreciate my quiet, laid back Peaceful Phlegmatic personality. I can really relate to the “being verb.”

  2. Dianne Says:
    September 11th, 2007 at 10:02 am

    Hi Angela,
    This sounds sort of silly, but maybe studying the temperaments is also good and beneficial because it has us focus on the personality and “inside” of a person and not the visual or “outside”/ the exterior. With so much focus on looks/clothes and then the problems with prejudice and racial tensions. This is getting away from the focus of what we can see to what we can’t see. It causes us to be dealing with the real person and learning each person’s uniqueness. We can learn to value them and not just go with a preconceived idea based on their looks/ ethnic background or clothes. Better to be able to focus away from all the other fluff and see the God-created individual.

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