I am sure you have heard of the enneagram. If you haven’t, maybe you’re living under a rock, or just out in the world doing much more important things than over-analyzing your own personality and the personality of others. But if you have heard of the enneagram, then you’ll know what I mean when I say I am a type 9.

Honestly, that’s been up for debate a lot because I’m also scared like a 6. And if you ever care enough, I’ll gladly walk you through why I think I am probably a 9 and not a 6.

Anyway, I am a type 9 on the enneagram, and part of that means that I don’t just form my opinions based on facts. While I take facts into consideration, I feel most comfortable forming my opinions by listening to the opinions of other people that I trust and then determining if I agree or disagree with those opinions. This means that I’m definitely going to ask you what you are ordering at a restaurant before I make my own decision.

Generally, this works out okay. My friends and family willingly offer up their opinions, and I slowly form my own as I consider the opinions of others. There are, of course, some opinions that hold a greater weight. There are people that I trust most and also those people that are directly affected by whatever situation or circumstance I am trying to form an opinion about.

That was a lot of background to get to my point. Which is: the past few months have been so hard to navigate and full of internal conflict for this enneagram 9. Opinions right now are many and diverse. And they are loud. A lot of them are from people I trust and yet they all believe something different. And those opinions are all also based on facts. Different facts, but facts nonetheless.

And that’s been really hard for me.

In response to that, I’ve dwelt on two truths that have anchored me, so I don’t get swept away in despair and fear and all the things (that’s the 6 coming out).

1. God is in control and He is good.
   
   I always remind myself of both things. God is in control, and He is good. One without the other is scary or ineffective. God being in control but not all good – that’s scary. God being good but not in control – that’s not very comforting either. But the fact that He is both is so good and so comforting. In the midst of this crazy season that 2020 has brought to us all, I have to remind myself that both are true. Remembering this helps me when I am feeling the opinions and the news and the politics start to toss me in a million directions.
   
   
2. Cling to what is true.
   
   “Truth” has been hard to define in the midst of this pandemic. Everyone has facts. Everyone has facts based on science. And yet, it still seems hard to know what is true. First, you shouldn’t wear a mask. Then, you should. First, it’s not airborne. Then, it is. The truth is constantly changing. And different people say different things. Those different people say the other people are idiots. The other people say the other people are idiots. And around and around we go.
   
   More than ever, I have been so glad to have some anchor of truth in my life. I really believe that we will never know the truth about some things that go on in this world. But, I do believe that what the Bible says is true, and I have felt so grateful that I have that. When I’ve felt most conflicted, I’ve had to turn off the news, remove social media from my phone, and turn to what I KNOW is true.
   
   

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23

And I give you that same encouragement. Remember that we are still in the hands of God. He is with us always. And remember what is true. Just like Philippians 4:8 says, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” And if you don’t remember what those things are, read your Bible.