Temperaments are a combination of the inborn traits that subconsciously affect your attitude/character. According to research, four basic temperament traits have been discovered in humans. They are Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholy, and Phlegmatic, depending on the degree of dominance in each person. But there is a fifth temperament…
Two ladies walked into a bustling cafe, placed an order for two cups of cappuccino, and sat across from each other. They chatted for a while, expecting the barista who had taken their orders to show up, but he did not. Five minutes turned into ten minutes; fifteen minutes turned into twenty minutes, yet no one attended to them.
After a long while, the barista finally showed up with one cup of coffee, giving all manner of excuses as to why there was a delay in the delivery. Frustrated, one of the ladies raised her voice. “This is ridiculous! We have been waiting here for so long, and all you could come back with are excuses?!” She slammed her hand on the table, drawing the attention of other customers. Her anger bubbled over as she requested to speak to the manager, creating a scene in the cafe.
The other lady was clearly upset too, but she was surprised at her friend’s outburst because she knew herself as the volatile one and her friend, the calmer, but somehow, she was able to keep her cool. Quite unusually, she smiled at the barista instead of joining the outburst. “I know it’s busy here, but can you help us check on her order?” Her calm demeanour immediately diffused the tension, and the barista, grateful for her understanding, quickly attended to them. While the first lady escalated the situation, the other lady’s patience earned them a free second cup of coffee and a complimentary pastry for their trouble.
Now, what was the difference between the two ladies’ reactions? One gave in to the dictates of the flesh out of anger, while the other saved the situation with a spirit-controlled approach. One could easily conclude that she was too weak to fight for her rights, but realistically, all she did was put a check on her emotions and disallow her temperament to get a better part of the situation. This is a typical illustration of the fifth temperament in sharp contrast to the other four. This is called the Spirit-controlled temperament.
The four temperaments have been likened to several things in the Bible, e.g., the natural man, the flesh, the hidden person of the heart, and a generation, to mention a few. A more vivid description of these four traits is given in Proverbs 30:11-14.
Knowing the various temperament traits brings you to a state of self-awareness. Then, it enables you to understand how the Holy Spirit can gradually help you overcome your weaknesses if you allow Him.
There is no limit to what God can do in and through you if you allow the Holy Spirit to control your temperament. Your temperament is responsive to a positive change by the help and ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Yes, the Holy Spirit can help you out of depression and mood swings if you have melancholic traits and can even control a choleric that seems to be self-dependent and aggressive.
For example, Saul was a choleric who antagonised and persecuted the early Church, breathing threats of murder all about, but when he had an encounter with the power of God, he became so kind and tolerant and even endured all manner of persecutions for Christ’s sake. Apostle Peter was sanguine and very outspoken but fearful. He was fearful that he denied his master thrice in the face of death, but when the power of God came upon him mightily, he became very bold and audacious.
The fruit of the Spirit, according to Galatians 5:22-23, contains the antidote to any character deficiency you may be struggling with.
If you patiently spend time with God, the fruit of the Spirit will naturally find expression through you. When this happens, you will find it easier to cut off from traits of weakness, and you will no longer be caught using phrases like “That’s how we are in our family.”
You have been redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9), so the next time you are tempted with bitterness and unforgiveness, remember you have the power to choose peace over war. When tempted to overtalk and overdo things just to fit in, remember you have the power to choose honesty over deception, even when nobody’s watching—the power to remain faithful lies within you because the Holy Spirit is resident on your inside.
No matter how feeble or temperamental you are right now, the Holy Spirit can gradually exchange your weaknesses with His strength because His grace is sufficient for you (2 Cor. 9:10). Allow the Holy Spirit to work on your shortcomings daily to refine your temperament and make you Spirit-controlled.