Growing as an Enneagram Eight: The ChallengerSample

Calling Lust What It Is

As an Eight, you struggle with an intense energy, overpowering desire, or forceful pull toward anything that is not yours to have or yours to do. This is lust…and calling it that can be a really hard pill to swallow. 

Eights’ defense mechanism is denial. If there is something too big in your life that you don’t think you can change, you might deny it even exists. As an Eight, it is good to be aware of this tendency and ask yourself about it often. This coping mechanism might even be tricking you into believing that nothing is too big and unchangeable in your life.

Lust is one of the areas in an Eight’s life that they tend to be either proud of or deny the existence of. This is why it’s so important for you to recognize the lust in your life and to call lust what it is: a sin. 

When you act on impulse without all the information, there is a great likelihood that you are sinning. Maybe the action itself is not sinful, but did you, for example, sin against your brother by taking action too quickly? Did you leave someone feeling unheard or inept? You may feel justified in the action you’re taking only to realize later that you didn’t have the full story, or didn’t take the time to weigh your actions against the consequences.

When you pursue something with all your energy, you might be leaving people behind or, worse, deflecting wise counsel. God’s Word tells us, “Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way” (Proverbs 19:2). 

Do you react with anger and use your full strength to intimidate? This is sin.

Is the object of your intense desire something that isn’t yours or isn’t supposed to be yours yet? Then acting on or dwelling in that intense desire is sin. 

Do you pursue fights and battles that are not your responsibility, therefore taking away the chance for the responsible party to obediently engage in their own battle? This is sin.

God’s standards for us are much higher than we like to think they are. We like to think that there is some way we can live completely pleasing to God in our own power and with all of our excuses. But we are sinful, and there is no shame in admitting that, only humility.