Youniversity Part 2 by Pastor Mildred Kingsley-Okonkwo: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

What Are Temperaments?

Youniversity is the study of yourself. One of the most important things a human being can do is truly know themselves. Understanding why you act the way you do, why you behave the way you do, why you are the way you are — it answers a lot of questions. It helps you deal with your weaknesses and maximize your strengths.

Temperaments can best be described as your natural-born traits — the thing in you that makes one person extroverted and another introverted, the thing that makes you love parties or prefer to stay home, the thing that draws you to people or makes you a recluse. We inherit them from our parents, the same way we inherit physical features. You can usually find a bit of your father and a bit of your mother in your temperament blend.

Interestingly, temperaments appear all over the Bible. Proverbs 30:11-14 describes four generations that map closely to the four types:

• Verse 11 — a generation that curses their father and does not bless their mother: the melancholy, very critical even of those closest to them.
• Verse 12 — a generation that is pure in their own eyes yet not washed from filthiness: the phlegmatic, looking very good on the outside but holding real weaknesses inside.
• Verse 13 — a generation with very lofty eyes: the sanguine, proud and egotistical.
• Verse 14 — a generation whose teeth are swords and jaw teeth as knives: the choleric, very harsh and unconcerned with how their words affect others.

The Four Temperament Types

There is no temperament that is bad. Every temperament has its major strengths and its characteristic weaknesses. The Holy Spirit can come and totally transform your temperament — not by removing who you are, but by redeeming it.

1. The Sanguine — Mr. Sunny

   Strengths:

   • Love people — make friends easily and naturally
   • Fun-loving in everything they do — cannot survive boredom
   • Very loud, energetic, colorful in personality and often in dress
   • Thrive on attention and activity
   • Very non-judgmental and accepting of people
   • Do not hold grudges — genuinely forget offenses quickly
   • Enthusiastic, adventurous, optimistic

   Weaknesses:

   person
   Pastor Mildred Kingsley-Okonkwo
   Enjoying this sermon? Browse more messages by Pastor Mildred Kingsley-Okonkwo on Temperaments at ReadSermons.
   library_books More Sermons
   • Very disorganized and scattered
   • Forget obligations — not because they mean to, but their attention shifts rapidly
   • Exaggerate and give out too much information
   • Undisciplined with money and food
   • Get bored easily; jump from project to project
   • Very unstable emotionally — high highs and very low lows in the same breath
   • Can make strong promises in the moment and not keep them

   The clearest example of a sanguine in the Bible is Peter. He told Jesus: "Even if everybody denies you, I would die with you." Within hours, a servant girl confronted him and he denied Jesus three times. He genuinely meant what he said. But when actual fear came, he backed down. That is the sanguine: they mean it in the moment — but they can be very unstable. The same Peter was the only one who jumped out of the boat to walk on water. Adventurous, bold — but he sank when the fear overtook him.

   When Jesus washed the disciples' feet and said, "You shall not wash my feet", Peter immediately shifted to the extreme: "Not just my feet, but wash all of me." Sanguines can't be middle — everything is either too much or too little.

2. The Choleric — The Powerful Choleric

   Strengths:

   You may also like

   

   Bold As A Lion Part 4: The Mentality Of A Lion

   by Dr. Paul Enenche

   arrow_forward

   • Natural-born leaders — even when they don't want to lead, they somehow rise to the top
   • Very decisive — they know what they want and they get it
   • Goal-oriented, results-driven, love challenges and thrive under pressure
   • Great problem solvers — their eyes are trained to see solutions
   • Delegate very well and understand team dynamics
   • Tireless, very energetic, and always achieving their goals
   • Fearless and courageous — they do not give up

   Weaknesses:

   • Very domineering — their way or no way
   • Clash with people often because they always believe their approach is best
   • Very unsympathetic — they don't understand why others can't just move on
   • Put projects before people — they will step on toes to get the assignment done
   • Arrogant and very opinionated
   • Highly competitive — even when there is no competition, they are still in competition mode
   • Selective in friendship — if you are not successful or useful to them, they struggle to invest in the relationship

   The clearest example of a choleric in the Bible is Apostle Paul. Even in prison, he finished the assignments. He wrote letters. He put others to work. He was more interested in the work than in his own comfort. He pressed. He did not give up. He was not weighed down by where he was. He kept doing the work, kept doing the work. Even when he could not do it himself, he sent Timothy. He was so focused on what mattered that he wrote: "Rejoice in the Lord. And again I say, rejoice." Not: I am miserable in prison. The work goes on.

   Before his conversion, he took it upon himself — nobody sent him — to go to Jerusalem, get letters, and travel to every province to arrest Christians. He had an agenda and was going to succeed at it. Then Jesus said: "This guy will destroy my work if I don't take him for myself." That is choleric power. They latch on to something and there is nothing you can do — they will succeed.

Key Takeaways

• Most people are a blend of two temperaments — one predominant, one secondary.
• The introverted temperaments are the phlegmatic and the melancholy. The extroverted are the sanguine and the choleric.
• The phlegmatic is the most likeable. The melancholy is the most gifted. The sanguine is the most versatile. The choleric is the most productive.
• There is no bad temperament. What the Holy Spirit does is take your natural tendencies — your strengths and your weaknesses — and transform them into fruitfulness for the kingdom.
• Knowing your temperament helps you understand why you respond to things the way you do, why certain environments energize or drain you, and why some areas of life are a constant battle for you — while others come naturally.