4 Spiritual Types: Which One Are You?

When you have been a faithful member of a particular church or denomination for most, if not all, of your Christian experience, you are aware that there are specific ways that they practice their faith. Though differences in theology are often the main distinction between denominations, there are a variety of reasons people will choose a particular denomination. Your spiritual development is shaped by the spiritual practices you participate in and which of the spiritual types you are.

There will be some spiritual practices that you are naturally drawn to and others that are more difficult. Developing awareness of your spiritual type is part of growing in God’s grace and knowledge. The types are not used to rank godliness, faithfulness, or maturity. Instead, they should be seen as a part of how you connect with God.

4 Spiritual Types: Which One Are You?

We will examine these four types below, including some biblical examples from Jesus’s life, and explore some spiritual practices for the different types.

Charismatic
The charismatic type leans prominently on feelings. Deep emotions are one way that charismatics sense God’s presence and express their relationship with God. They tend to be attracted to congregations that feel celebratory and emotional in some way. Doubt and fear are frustrating feelings for charismatics to deal with, and this is where they can learn from the intellectual type.

Biblical Examples

Looking at the Old Testament, David is notorious for wearing his heart on his sleeve. (2 Samuel 6 and many of the Psalms.) In this way, we see that God welcomes those who express the full spectrum of their emotions. In the New Testament, we can see much of the Apostle John’s tendency toward the charismatic type in his writings about the love of God. (See 1, 2, 3 John)

Jesus also demonstrates deep feelings in various circumstances, notably when Lazarus dies. There are other moments where the joy, sorrow, and even anger of Jesus come through in the gospels.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. – John 11:32-35, NIV

Some charismatic practices that you might like:

• Praying aloud
• Dancing and other forms of physical movement
• Weeping with those who weep

Contemplative
Those who lean toward the contemplative type often enjoy mystery and are focused on hearing from God rather than speaking to God. They may be drawn to mystics and meditative practices. They are frequently attracted to church gatherings that involve a lot of silence and pondering or use ancient liturgies. One of the weaknesses of this type is neglecting to study or take action on their contemplation. In this way, they benefit from spending time with Intellectual and Activist types.

Biblical Example

Elijah, the prophet of the Lord, was sent to share the word of God with people. To do so, he spent a great deal of time listening to the voice of God. (1 Kings 19) Likewise, Mary of Bethany is lauded throughout history for her desire to listen to the teaching of Jesus. (Luke 10)

Mary may have followed Jesus’ example of retreating to pray, which he did many times in the gospels.

After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. – Mark 6:46, NIV

Some preferred practices for the contemplative type:

• Centering Prayer
• Long walks
• Artistic journaling
• Retreats
• Liturgical practices

Intellectual
Thinking, debating, and deep-dive learning are some of the hallmarks of the intellectual type. They are head-centered in their spiritual development and attracted to church gatherings that heavily focus on sermons and the declaration of the Word of God. Their thirst for knowledge is a gift to others. However, they can be uncomfortable with mystery and may lack practical compassion. In this way, they benefit from learning from the other three types.

Biblical Examples

Paul and Solomon write prolifically about big concepts, such as wisdom (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes) and life with God (Paul’s epistles.) They both engage in dialogue with people in a way that is trying to understand how God wants them to live.

They are not alone in this. Jesus also spent a great deal of time teaching. He spoke in the religious centers of temples and synagogues, as well as in homes and the open air, using parables and sermons.

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So, he began teaching them many things. — Mark 6:34, NIV

Some preferred practices of this type:

• In-depth Bible studies
• Historical background learning
• Discourse and debate
• Classroom style lessons

Activist
The Activist type wants to be out doing things and changing the world. They are remarkably aware of injustice in the world and have a strong desire to help. These people may prefer to be part of non-profit groups rather than congregational gatherings. They need to do work that they believe in.

This does not mean they are not part of a church, but finding one they want to belong to may be more difficult. They can inspire the other three types to go beyond the walls and do the work required. They benefit from learning to rest and listening to the other three types.

Biblical Examples

Nobody is more zealous than the Apostle Peter, who jumps on the water, draws a sword, and even rebukes Jesus (Matthew 14 and John 21). Peter wants to get things done. Moses is another example of a leader. In his journey, he learns to delegate to others when necessary. Aaron and his sons are religious leaders, and Joshua is a military leader, yet all of them follow Moses’s leadership.

Though Jesus was no activist, He was a man of action, albeit not always in the ways that his followers wanted. He went to the people, young and old, rich and poor, educated and otherwise, outcasts and enemies.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. — Matthew 4:23, NIV

Activists tend to do outreach types of spiritual practices:

• Social justice work
• Healing ministries
• Crisis response
• Political effort

Christian Counseling for Spiritual Development

All spiritual types have strengths and weaknesses, which is where Christian counseling in San Diego can be of great benefit. Your counselor at San Diego Christian Counseling can help you take steps toward understanding the spiritual type you lean toward and help you find balance in that.

When you call us at San Diego Christian Counseling, we can set up an appointment with a counselor in San Diego who will help with your spiritual development.

Your spiritual development can be enhanced by learning about the different spiritual types. You can learn how to appreciate the gifts that you bring and that others can share with you.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. – 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, NIV

The Holy Spirit will gift every person of faith. As you develop and grow in your spiritual life you will be able to work more harmoniously with others. Everyone can benefit from the effervescence of the charismatic, the insights of the contemplative, the vast knowledge of the intellectual, and the energy of the activist.

You may even find yourself a different type during different stages of your life. Perhaps, you are some combination of the types. The discovery is all part of your spiritual development. Reach out today to schedule an appointment to meet with one of the Christian counselors in San Diego. They will guide you on a path toward freedom.