Cross Balance

Four Capacities of Personhood

A Christian counsellor, Dr Larry Crabb,
has used the Bible to deduce in what ways we are made in the image of God.
He concludes that there are four “capacities” that are common to God and man.

We both have a longing or yearning for satisfaction.
In God’s case, it as a longing that we humans
should be restored to a close relationship to him.
In our case, our longing should be the reverse
– but because we are fallen, we substitute other material goals.

We are capable of evaluative thinking.
God has continually been thinking about his creation and its downfall,
concluding and acting.
We also are capable of rational thought,
though without God our thoughts are always flawed and foolish.

A third capability is that of active choosing.
God chooses to do certain things.
He chose to create us.
We also can choose – we have been treated as responsible beings.
Unfortunately, we chose to ignore God,
and most of the time continue to do so.

Lastly, God and man feel emotions as they interact with God’s world.
Our human emotions can be pleasant or unpleasant, constructive or destructive
depending if we rely on God’s wisdom, or own foolishness.

These capacities seem to me to correspond with the temperaments as shown.
The dotted lines can show the extent to which we develop each capacity.
A fulfilled person is one where all capabilities are at maximum capacity.