top of page

Achieving the Christian Psychosocial Balance​

 

Outline

Self-efficacy Comes from Christ’s Identity

A Christian World View

What is Your Mammon?

Christian Faith Walks the Talk of Love

Using Godly Wisdom is Your Insight

Friendships

SHINE   LOVE IN ALL YOU DO!

2

Self-efficacy Comes from Christ’s Identity

Social Cognitive Psychologist Albert Bandura is best known for his work explaining the correlation between Social Learning Theory and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a self-propelled personal belief that you can accomplish your goals. It's an energy and attitude of confidence that pulls you through the required resiliency and applied learning that produces goal attainment. His theory describes this energy to be a product of hope, as stated below;

There is a growing body of evidence that human attainments and positive well-being require an optimistic sense of personal efficacy. (The belief that YOU are the source of the power to change into intentional conduct.) This is because ordinary social realities are strewn with difficulties. They are full of impediments, failures, adversities, setbacks, frustrations, and inequities. People must have a robust sense of personal efficacy to sustain the perseverant effort needed to succeed. Self-doubts can set in quickly after some failures or reverses. The important matter is not that difficulties arouse self-doubt, which is a natural immediate reaction, but the speed of recovery of perceived self-efficacy from difficulties. Some people quickly recover their self-assurance; others lose faith in their capabilities. Because the acquisition of knowledge and competencies usually requires sustained effort in the face of difficulties and setbacks, it is resiliency of self-belief that counts (Bandura, 1989).

Bandura points to "self-efficacy" as the driving psychological force which pulls you into a balanced, functional personality. Professor Susan Fiske identified five essential motives that are driven not only by your psychology of need fulfillment to reach self-efficacy, but much like Erickson did, she adds a few social needs;  Belonging, Understanding, Control, Enhance self, and Trusting others (Fiske, S. T. (2018, 2010, 2005, 2003)). She attributes enhancing self (or what Bandura calls self-efficacy) as the willingness to trust. Erick Erickson says trust must be successfully formed so you can climb the developmental steps to live a functional and productive life. The development of trust is essential to the skill-building process that leads to successful goal attainment in Fiske, Erickson and Bandura's theories but the Source of that strength is attributed to self, as evidenced by using words like self-worth, self-esteem, self-actualization, ego, etc.    

 

While these concepts have a place in your life, the Word of God says plainly that they are not the source of your strength and abilities. (To disregard this Truth, reveals an over-inflated and tainted self-image that distorts your view of reality. The Christian Bible points out that sin is inherent in human nature and is what feeds your self-concept/ego.) Sin entices and is attractive, but after you indulge in it, there is an impact on your view of yourself, whether you recognize it or not, and is the reason for fluctuations in your attitude and behavior (ie., moodiness and hyper sensitivity). "Dying to self" is the phrase the Bible uses to communicate what you need to do so you don't rely on your own self-concept but rather realize the need to surrender your willfulness to God sovereignty (Galatians 2:20). The imagery behind the dying to self phrase is a metaphor that should point you to the necessity of taking on Christ identity by voluntarily becoming a child of God and submitting your will to His (Romans 6:6-14, 7:4-6).

 

Feeling loved and being secure is also part of Abraham Maslow's work, a humanistic psychologist (McCloud, S., (2025), McCloud, S.A. (2018)). For Christians, this is attained by being loved by God, not anything you work towards. When God is the weight that holds the balance between your psycho and social needs in this world and you've accepted your Christ identity, you will achieve a strong self-concept without needing words like self-enhancing or self-actualization to affirm your strength.  

 

 

 

​

A Christian World View (CWV)

Reading the Bible defines and teaches a Christian world view (Genesis 1:1, 1 John 4:16, Micah 6:8, James 1:27, Philippians 2:2-8, 14-15, 4:6-7, Matthew 7:24-27, Isaiah 55:8-9, Ephesians 1:17-18, etc). When you freely choose to trust God (an action/verb), you allow the love of God to fuel both the energy (attitude) and actions needed to rest while working, enhancing your social skill (Romans 15:13, 1 Peter 2:12, Philippians 2:15-16, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Isaiah 55:12, Matthew 5:16). It is your reliance on God's sufficiency in you, rather than your reliance on self or others, that maintains the Christian psycho-social balance in your life (2 Corinthians 3:5, 4:7, 12:9, John 15:5, Luke 12:16-21, Titus 3:3-5, Romans 12:3, Proverbs 16:9, 2 Peter 1:3-4, Acts 17:25, Philippians 4:13, Revelation 3:17).

​​​​​​​​​

​The CWV stands on timeless, unchanging truth from a Holy God formed into principles cushioned by His definition of love, justice and mercy (Malachi 3:6, Micah 6:8, Leviticus 11:44, 19:2, Psalm 86:15, Lamentations 3:22-23, Matthew 5:16-17, Titus 2:7, 1 Corinthians 13:4-6). Living out these Biblically proven concepts is considered by most Christians as your choice to “pick up your cross”. Notice the language used by the Apostle Luke to describe this next step to maturity (what Erickson referred to in step five as an identity crisis) in Luke 14:27: "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple". Being a disciple means to trade your free-will for God's sovereign rule over your life shown by your implementation of Holy love rather than your fleshly desires (Galatians 5:14-16). You step into this process of b e c o m i n g a disciple by progressing through life’s “trouble, as Jesus refers to it as, or the “crisis” that Erickson called it, so you become a mature, insightful Christian who carry's out Christ-like behavior (Romans 8:29, Philippians 2:5, Psalm 25:8-10). It's your actions that reveal your beliefs, showing others your Christian World view (1 Peter 2:12, 3:2, 11, Matthew 5:16-17, Titus 2:7, 1 Corinthians 13:4-6).

​

Accepting the Truth that God loves you unconditionally, personalizes Him as your God, not just the God of the universe (Romans 8:38-39). He accepts you into his family as you are but wants to help you learn that it’s His Holy Love in you that will help you be the best you can be (Romans 5:8,1 Corinthians 13:8-13, Isaiah 55:11). God sees perfection in every person who surrenders their self-effort to Him because they trust Him (1 Peter 1:18-19, Ephesians 1:7, Romans 5:9, Romans 3:24-25, 1 John 1:7, Colossians 1:20-22, Hebrews 10:19, Revelation 12:11, Matthew 26:28, Hebrews 9:12, Numbers 23:19, Psalm 34:1-3, 11-12). It is God’s love that replaces the cultures use of a self-efficacy mentality and, once you experience this, you'll be set free from your own and others performance mentality and self-judgement (Colossians 1:12, Matthew 6:10, Ephesians 1:11-1:14, Hebrews 4:11, 2 Thessalonians 3:5). 

  • Read the parable Jesus told recorded in Matthew 25:14-30 about the assigned “talents”. See if you can discern the use of God's grace. ​ ​​​

​​

​​Your willingness to accept the truth of God and show it through your decisions (bending your own will to think and act like Christ) is a Christian's "self-belief" which qualifies you for eternal life (E  ) and can motivate you to ShinE , bringing heaven to earth D(A + B) = C    (Psalm 15, Colossians 1:12, Matthew 6:10). The gift of the Holy Spirit doesn’t just identify you as a recipient of heaven when you die (Ephesians 4:30), but by acknowledging and expressing Him, the gift, you can live out the rest of your life being led away from sin and into a living an active, courageous Christian life (Romans 8:13-15, 1 John 3:9, 3:6, John 5:14, 16:33, Psalm 27:13-14, 1 Timothy 6:12, Ephesians 6:10, 1 Corinthians 16:13, 15:57, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Strength and courage come when you step out in faith, doing consistently what your faith believes out of love, not obligation or peer pressure (Romans 6:22).

 

Clear thinking about the truth of the Triune Christian God and persisting in love because of your faith will result in the attainment of Godly goals (Romans 5:3-5, 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4). The core component of your success in a social world is the Holy Spirit. But if you try to go through life on your own, you'll get stuck on one of Ericksons’ steps because of a crisis and without God, it’ll halt your maturity. When you turn your focus to God and away from self, you’ll gain the courage and determination to fight through and endure adversity (John 15:1-5, Romans 8:4-6, Philippians 4:11). Jesus warns, “The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches . . . choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). Interpreting circumstances through Biblical principles leads you through a world influence by culture, fads, lust, greed, envy and people-pleasing with your Godly integrity intact (1 John 2:15-16, Colossians 3:5, Psalm 18:30).

 

What is Your Mammon?

​The King James Version uses the term “mammom” to describe something that you could choose to value more than your relationship with Jesus Christ. The English Standard Version translates this word as “money,” as does the New Living Translation. Personalize the term mammon so that it represents to you anything that you value higher than God (because “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”; Matthew 6:21-24). Monetary transactions are a good example of value-based decision making because what you spend it on reflects it's worth to you, revealing your beliefs/desires (Matthew 6:21). A “mammom” mentality (anything you have that you value higher than God) is common in human behavior in a world dominated by self-reliance.

 

How and what you spend your money on reveals your sense of identity too. When you, as a Christian, rely on God, not "mammon", to sustain your lifestyle, you are making a value decision that communicates your belief and trust is in God and that He will supply all your needs and give you the desires of your heart (Luke 18:18-23, Philippians 4:19, Psalm 37:3-7). In the gospel of Luke, Jesus explains that exercising trust (faith rather than fear) starts as a cognitive process that stems from a heart that understands the love and care God has for you (Matthew 6:28-34, Luke 12:22-34). It's in trusting God that you reveal to yourself and others that you choose to see things through the eyes of your Christian heart and are confident acting because you know the Holy Spirit is helping you, sparking your confidence while living in a self-reliant, social world (Luke 6:45, 12:34, Psalm 121:1). Christians need to beware of a “mammom” mentality and fight the temptation so you remain balanced and grounded in your faith (James 4:13-15).

​

The more you test the implementation of the Word of God in a variety of situations, the more you learn discernment when using Godly wisdom (Proverbs 1:9). Proverbs 15:14 says, “A wise person is hungry for knowledge,” ... not success or fame. In the last verses of the chapter (15:31-34) it encourages a person to remain open to learning: "If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise, If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor".

2

D

2

Authentic faith is the currency used in God’s kingdom to unlock the promises of God (Hebrews 11:1, 6). That’s why “no one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). You are double-minded and become unstable in your ways when you try to please man and self instead of prioritizing God and others above self (1 Corinthians 10:21, James 1:8, 4:8, Romans 15:1, 5-6). You'll only be fooling yourself if you say, "Peace, peace when there is no peace" in your soul (Jeremiah 6:13-14, Ezekiel 13:10, Hosea 10:12-13).

 

Christian Faith Walks the Talk of Love

Erickson theorized that the fundamental virtue of hope fuels a functional personality because it teaches you to trust, love, and care for others, but Christian scholars and pastors teach that it's faith that propels hope, a natural outcome of developing a healthy, knowledgeable relationship with the Triune God (Matthew 6:24, James 1:8, Proverbs 3:3-5, James 4:8, John 5:44, Syed, M., & McLean, K. C. (2017, April 24)). Hope precedes faith because when you get lost or suffer from hopelessness, you can always call for help, and the God of Love will find you (John 10:28-29). Once God becomes the foundation of your life, you learn to structure your hope within the boundaries of Holy love so your faith progresses with your life experiences (Psalm 37:30). A self-effacing Christian is meek; a continuous learner, who shows their maturity through insight (James 1:22, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Proverbs 19:21, Psalm 37:11, Anand, A. K., & Bharti, J (2021)).

 

​​Your work as a Christian is to let your beliefs crystalize into a realistic vision and to accomplish that vision by following the Truth of God’s Word (Romans 5:5). Your knowledgeable faith-filled hope fuels you to act lovingly and resiliently towards others as you journey through life (Psalm 16:11, Luke 11:13, Matthew 7:7, John 16:33). God awakens your spirit by changing your heart which ignites the behavior of your Christian world view for all to witness: ​​​​​

  • Hope sees when you read the Holy Bible so you know whom it is that you choose to believe in (Romans 15:4-5).

  • Faith believes that God has equipped you with the capacity to change your physical conduct to match His Spirit in you so you mature in your faith (Philippians 4:13, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Isaiah 40:29-31).

  • Trust acts when you can discipline your mind and body to do what you know and believe of the Christian God (rather than over-indulge in fleshly-driven desires). The more you practice these new habits, the more natural it feels and inevitably becomes your new normal behavior (Galatians 5:13).

  • Love persists because your relationship with God motivates you to follow the way of love and forgiveness rather than to live in a self-driven pride walking “in the way of Cain” (Obadiah 3, Matthew 13:15, Romans 12:3, Jude 1:11).

When you make the commitment to let Christ be the leader of your life, you'll navigate through a social world by moving towards other people who share common values and away from those social crowds that don't. Your Trust is the skill that requires your decision to use self-discipline so you can temper your independence and learn to depend on God.

 

 

​

 

​

Your trust in Him gives you the courage to implement His standards of conduct without letting fear, worry, shame, loneliness, suffering or pride cause you to either harden your heart towards God or to doubt that He will do for you  what Word His says (2 Chronicles 7:14, Mark 9:21-24, Matthew 14:28-31, 1 John 5:14-15, Psalm 15, 16, 17:1-9, Appendix 2A, Thorkildsen, K. M., Eriksson, K., & Råholm, M. B. (2013)).​ Your thoughts become focused on the words and the ways of the Bible and this Christian perspective protects you from being led astray by worldly desires and false teachers (2 Timothy 1:7, Romans 12:1-2, John 17:17, Matthew 4:4, Titus 2:11-13, 3:3-7, Psalm 23, 119:9). As the Apostle Paul told Timothy in (2 Timothy 3:16-17).“ ...  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" Choose to supplement your reality with the Truth of God’s Word so you will pray to God, do what is right in His eyes and see your reality change in proportion (Proverbs 26:3, James 4:1-4, Hebrews 12:12, Appendix 2G). 

 

Trusting God is an output of a humble, loving attitude that leads to you to the fulfillment of Biblical faith (Isaiah 40:28). The guarantee God gives when you decide to believe in Him is the Holy Spirit, a Spiritual gift that you can develop physically through a changed mindset, one that is willing to exchange self-reliance for Christ's sufficiency (John 1:29, 19:28-30, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Romans 4:1-4). Because of the confident and structured hope you have in Christ, "a friend who sticks closer than a brother", you can trust Him to meet your needs so you can change your thoughts (Psalm 62:5, John 15:15, Proverbs 18:24, 1 Peter 1:21, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Psalm 103:1-14, 17-18). Your faith in God becomes effectual when you decide to act on the power of the Holy, D Spirit in you (Philemon 6).

​​​​

​When you follow God's directions, you make wise choices that sometimes look foolish to non-believers (1 Corinthians 2:12-16). They see you postpone your own desire for instant gratification and, instead, see you choose to act in faith with love demonstrating "humility over pride, servanthood over competition, selflessness over selfishness, compassion over contempt, kindness over rudeness, gentleness instead of harshness, patience instead of anger, forgiveness instead of bitterness and self-control instead of self-indulgence" (Vernick, L, 2003, p156,​ Galatians 5:18, 

Matthew 7:24-27, Ephesians 4:22-24). In Erickson's steps, only a mature person develops wisdom. With Christianity, maturity grows from wisdom into insight because of gratitude to God (Revelation 4:11, 1 Chronicles 16:25, Psalm 107:1, 30:12, James 1:2-8, 2 Peter 1:5-7, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Hebrews 12:14, Ephesians 5:1-2). Thankfulness to God is the key to finding and keep inner peace and joy because being mindful of God keeps and a balances your interdependence between yourself, God and others (Galatians 6:2, 5, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Proverbs 27:17, 1 Corinthians 12:18-21, Hebrews 10:24-25, Ephesians 4:1-4). ).

  • Read more about the learned skill (Holy Spirit empowered) of patient endurance @

https://www.gotquestions.org/patient-in-tribulation.html.

 

Using Godly Wisdom is Your Insight​​​​​​​

God's

  • Accountability instead of Greed, it yields wisdom​

​

  • Acceptance instead of Anger, it yields maturity ​

​

  • Integrity instead of Dishonesty, it yields transparency ​

​

  • Peacemaking instead of Territorialism ​

A posture of gratitude to God opens your mindset to see old things new. One successful Christian business CEO shares what he implemented into his work style (Harper Jr, J. D., (2014)):

​

  • Humility instead of Ego, it yields influence​​

​​

  • Empathy instead of Busyness, it yields perspective​​

​​

  • Attentiveness instead of Distraction, it yields productivity​

 

 

With this picture in mind, go back to the Old Testament and read the account of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, an enemy of Israel, in Daniel 1-4. You will see that as king of his territory, even he had to bow before God of the Universe. You can see some of the stages King Nebuchadnezzar had to move through so he could personalize God to himself. It took time for him to go from honoring the Jewish God as one of many to realizing that He was really the God of all, including himself. This is the same insight that occurred as the business man grew in his career.

 

Being humbled by God frames your thinking inside the boundaries of what you know to be true about God and your Christ Identity. You can’t overcome addictive habits without the listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit’s leading. You need to be willing to exchange your ego and social reputation for character integrity to God. Your hope is sure when you rightly divide God's Word and implement your Christian World View (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18, 11:1). When you are God-conscience, you remember that He is the one working things together (Romans 8:28). Practicing Christianity is the narrow road through life that leads to an abundant, full, life (Isaiah 41:10, John 14:6, 10:10, 14:23, Matthew 7:13–14, Mark 8:34). Being humble towards God is part of what it means to offer Him “a sacrifice of praise” (Hebrews 13:15, Psalm 27:6, 13-14, Psalm 28:7).   ​

Friendships

Choosing friends that encourage the practice of Christian principles is so important to your recovery (Romans 16:17-18). Friends can lead you to do things that you decided not to do or even things that you don't know yet whether to do or not to do. ​Godly wisdom gives you insight to know which friends will eventually lead you astray and which ones will encourage you to show integrity to the Lord (Proverbs 12:26, 13:20). Romans 14:17-19 says,  

"... the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up."

The Apostle Peter mimics this same advice when he says to be diligent (conscientious) and vigilant (watchful), when selecting friends (2 Peter 1:10, Proverbs 12:24). 


Secular Personality Psychologists agree as “conscientiousness” was labeled as one of the most important personality traits because of its influence on impulse control and self-regulation (Appendix 2B). When you let your Christian conscience rule your conduct, rather than other people’s opinions doing so, you are in the best position to maintain harmony with others (Romans 16:25-27, 1 Corinthians 10:23). ​The psycho-social balance for a Christian grounds your identity in Christ and together with a sound mind (well trained), drives your social decisions based on moral confidence - not popularity, bringing glory to God (1 John 2:28, 1 Corinthians 10:31, 24-30). 

  • For a quick video on the “Big 5 Personality traits go to https://youtu.be/5dP3fyVmwfs.

  • For a personal testimony regarding the role of old and new friends, click here; Video summary from Adam Vibe Gunton of “Recovered on Purpose”. 

  • Look at the following account of the story in the Bible where the friends of a paralytic made it possible for the man to appear before Jesus (Luke 5:17-26). Who supports your new vision to change and who wants you to remain the same?

​​​The story of Job in the Bible is a good example of trying to use your discernment to respect God’s sovereignty when you lack understanding as to why you, a Christian, are experiencing a disaster. Christian author Philip Yancy uses Job as an example of standing firm in faith under trials even when you don't understand what's happening and when most of your friends offer opinions rather than Biblical truth. ​Yancy says, “well intentioned advice may sometimes do more harm than good. The behavior of Job’s friends gives a classic example of how (human) pride and a sense of being right can stifle true compassion” (1999, p 71).

 

Job listened to four opinios as to how they interpreted how to understand God in light of a disaster. Only one friend had the right stance, but Job couldn't see it. He was still confused from a lack of understanding why such a thing would happen to a good, obedient, Christian such as he was. But His loyalty to God kept him searching. Job could detect misinterpretations about God spoken by others, but Job had not yet discovered that even his own reasoning capability was limited in comparison to God and this blocked the Truth from enlightening His understanding (Romans 11:33, Isaiah 55:8-9, Proverbs 14:12).

​

​Job didn't keep spinning his wheels by continuing to try to reason with himself. Job turned his frustration and questions over to the “Author and Finisher” of his faith (Hebrews 12:2). Because of this act of faith, Job got a response directly from God (chapters 38-42 of the Bible book of Job). It wasn't until Job heard from God (we, as new testament believers, hear from God by reading/knowing the Bible) that he made adjustments to his own faith decisions (Job 34:1-4, 1 Peter 3:15, Acts 26:23-24). God never explained the reasons for Job's season of misfortune but he did reveal His Sovereign Majesty. Job's experience during his season of suffering led him to learn that it was his own self-righteousness that blinded him to God's sovereignty. Job saw that his human understanding was limited and that's when he realized what it meant to fully trust God (Psalm 112:1, 7, Jeremiah 32:17, 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, 1 Corinthians 1:30). Based on his new understanding, Job tweaked his theology (2 Peter 1:3, 2 Corinthians 4:16). 

 

Job learned the difference between love and logic, between the limits of self-reasoning and sovereign righteousness (Psalm 89:14, Proverbs 14:12, Romans 9:20). Job shows New Testament believers that respect along with knowledge of God frames your decisions but it can also invite pride back into your life by trying to do what you’ve reasoned God wants you to do, which could lead you to a false conclusion that bad things won’t happen to good people (Matthew 5:54). Job's season of despair resulted in a strengthened his faith (Psalm 16:8, 62:6, Hebrews 12:27, 6:19-20). Awe of God is the motivation that leads to a resilient, accepting, calm and content life, free from perfection, comparison and worry (1 Corinthians 6:12, Galatians 5:13, 22-23, Ephesians 3:14-19, Philippians 4:11, Hebrews 12:11). 

 

Worry, like anger, is a human emotion that can seem like a natural expression of your feelings, that is until you remember your position under God. ​Job prided himself on his obedience to God. Perfection as a Christian is not required to please God, only Christ’s righteousness in you is. Although he believed in the goodness of God, Job is just one of many men and women in the Bible who demonstrated that pride can linger in the heart of a believer.

  • Take a closer look at Jesus's description of what trusting God looks like, as explained in the New Living Translation of the Sermon on the Mount.

  • Job, along with the other Old Testament believers mentioned in Hebrews 11, were faithful but weren’t covered fully yet by the perfect righteousness of Christ and so could not rest, as New Testament believers can, in the imputed righteousness of Christ (Hebrews 11:39-40, Romans 4:5-9).

  • Read more on imputed righteousness @ https://www.gotquestions.org/imputed-righteousness.html.

​

​Choosing to follow the ways of God is a free-will decision (Psalm 25:14). You need to want to align your soul and body with your heart (Spirit of God in your spirit) in both public and private. Believing in your heart brings the security of Christ and confessing God through your behavior (words and deeds) brings well-being through Christian Cognitive Consistency (Psalm 25:13). If you are willing, the Holy Spirit teaches you to act from pure motives, something your sinful nature could not do (Psalm 24:1-5). When you freely exchange your ego for a self-concept grounded in Christ’s identity, you birth humility which leads to gratitude and melts your defense mechanisms and it opens the door to an attitude that is hungry for continuous learning and improvement. Discouragement (trials, sickness, conflict), deception (wrong thinking, not rightly dividing the word of truth, not understanding boundaries) and distraction (from obsession with money, worry, self-indulgence, self-righteousness, and pleasure seeking,) cause double-mindedness and can lead to anxiety, anger and/or despair (James 1:7-9). Instead, use your heart of faith - which is using you free-will, to shape your ABC's (James 1:2-4). The Apostle Paul describes the attitude, mind, and body connection in Romans 7:4-6 like this:

 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

​

Christ's Spirit in you enables you to see these choices clearly and then leads you, but doesn't force your decision, to do things His way. God's Love and Strength is available to all who become Christians and decide to use it (Romans 16:25-27, 1 Corinthians 13:7-8)! Hope in God sees faith before it materializes (1 Corinthians 13:7-8). When you pray and read the Word of God, it's like hoping for and getting access to a never-ending river of fresh water, free from pollution and bounded by the riverbanks of grace and forgiveness (Amos 5:24, Isaiah 43:2-3, John 7:38, Revelation 21:6, 21-22). ​

SHINE   LOVE IN ALL YOU DO!

 Isaiah 60:1, 60:15, Matthew 5:1-16, Luke 1:37, Romans 8:1-17, Ephesians 5:13-17, Appendix 2U

God values and loves you. How do you respond?​

When a person has the will to follow Christ by imitating His ways of thinking and doing, regardless of cultural input, the Holy Spirit empowers the person to carry it out their intention. Whether that desire produces perfect performance to His standard is not necessary for you to please God. You are a Child of God upon your heartfelt belief and confession (Romans 10:9-10, 8:15, Ephesians 2:8, John 1:12) but you are a disciple of Christ when you learn to use the mind of Christ (Matthew 21:28-32, 1 Corinthians 2:16, John 14:23, Philippians 4:13, James 1:22, https://www.gotquestions.org/mind-of-Christ.html and https://www.gotquestions.org/love-is-the-fulfillment-of-the-law.html.

2

Love one another and fulfill the law of Christ. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8, Colossians 3:12-15, 1:27, Galatians 6:2.​​​​​​​

The book of James summarize how to Divinely inspire your A, B, C's. First, you start out with an attitude that can’t be moved away from God (which shows your permission to let the Holy Spirit flow through you) and then you act consistently with what your faith knows (2:17). He concludes in James 5:11 with the example of Job and how He persevered through his trial and was blessed by God, as recorded in Job 42:10. Psalm 37:4 says, "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires". ​​The Apostle Paul writes about your heart and mind connection and then sums it up by explaining that it's you who controls the flow of God's power in you as recorded in Ephesians 1:17-19 and 3:17-19;​

"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ..." "Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

 

​​The full and abundant Christian life (E  ) is brought about by your decisions, the deliberate intention of your will (John 10:10, Joshua 24:15). Once you have made up your mind to select God as your "higher authority" from a sincere heart, your Christian faith produces a desire in you to freely choose to use self-restraint to act consistent with Godly standards of performance / behavior, born out of gratitude for His love and acceptance (1 Thessalonians 5:18). William James, considered the father of psychology, explains that our human will gives direction to how a free thinker directs his/her actions. He calls that which directs the human will, “belief”, ...  “a living hypothesis” ... “measured by the will to act” (James, (1896) pp 1, 3). At the Philosophical Clubs of Yale and Brown Universities, James said this in his public lecture; “Like a sermon on the justification of faith, the defence of our right to adopt a believing attitude in regards to religious matters” is a matter of opinion (James, W., 1896) p 1). “You must either believe or not believe that God is – which will you do? Your human reason cannot say" (James, W., 1896, p 5). Your choice is whether or not to believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ (John 19:30, Hebrews 10:10, Galatians 3:11). ​

​

Set your mind on the things of God and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you into living a full life in Christ (Hebrews 6:12-13, Romans 12:12). Showing love to others is a physical response inspired by the will to please God (Romans 8:8, Galatians 1:10, Ephesians 6:5-7, Luke 2:14). 1 John 4:19 states, "We love because he first loved us". Pure love isn't double-minded but rather love is the key to understanding how to actively rest in Christ's righteousness (Romans 5:5, 8:38-39). When you become aware of God's truth and the choice you have to serve God rather than your sinful desires, the aim and the sincerity of your heart, not performance perfection, generates a feeling of freedom and peace with God (Psalm 91:1-2, 119:92-93, Romans 8:15, Acts 24:16, Galatians 6:7-9, 2 Peter 1:9, Philippians 1:6, 4:7) so you can be and do love despite the darkness and volatility of living in a self-absorbed world (Colossians 3:2, 1:9-15, Psalm 27:1, 29:11, 119:105, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, John 16:33, 1 John 5:4-5). 

​​​​​

The Holy Spirit makes what is humanly impossible, possible. Jeremiah, a prophet in the Old Testament said this in Jeremiah 9:23-24. Thus says the Lord:

“Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord”.

This voluntary choice to respond to God’s love and authority ignites the power of your faith, D(A+B)C  = E .

It is the undeserved grace of God. Grace - because your gift of Christ-likeness is spiritual and does not require a physical manifestation, although if you practice your faith publicly, you will see physical manifestations of God's Word for the edification of the church as a whole (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 1 Peter 4:10, Romans 8:29; 2 Peter 1:4). Let love break through so you can choose to be bounded by Love.​

  • Read the entire sermon on the Mound given by Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 5-7, to see the correlation between following Biblical principles and insight.

2

D

2

Let God’s love break through and free you from the self-deception that leads to wishful thinking or, in the case of a believer, self-righteousness (Romans 4:5, 20-25).

Christ In You.png

You can distinguish and extinguish your sinful thoughts, but even if you fail, you will only experience the consequences in the physical, not the Spiritual realm (2 Timothy 2:13-15, 2 Corinthians 9:8). This means that when you are a Christian, it’s Christ in you (God’s gift) that makes you acceptable to a Holy God (Ephesians 2:8, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Peter 4:10). When you take the time to learn about God and mimic His Holy behavior in this life, with time and practice, you’ll be productive in body, and soul, not just spirit (Appendix 1). Your gratitude for God's gift of your faith and His mercy and grace provides a pathway for hope to follow (Deuteronomy 33:3, Psalm 37:23-24, Proverbs 16:9, https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-faith.html). You are loved by God and your willingness to learn and implement His ways while trusting in Christ’s righteousness is how you actively and peacefully rest in God while “working out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12-13, 1:6-11, Romans 12:2).

Choose to supplement your reality with the truth of God’s Word and see your reality change in proportion (2 Timothy 3:14, 15, 10-11, 16). Personal accountability to God also promotes social unity among yourself and others (2 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 4:15, 13-14, 2 Corinthians 5:9-11). When you know who you are in Christ and when you put on and remain in the armor of a child of God, you’ll move securely and confidently expressing love, peace and joy to others (Psalm 18:19, 35-36, Proverbs 2:7, 30:5). Live intentionally and continually pursue the balance required to live a healthy Christian Psycho-social lifestyle. 

  • Watch this 1-minute video defining the freedom you have by living in the grace of God @ https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNa5aLHNXRV/. 

  • When you are feeling stressed or anxious, what are you thinking about? Do you turn deeper into God or do you  choose to indulge yourself as a distraction to the source of your frustration? (Discussed further in the "STILL ANXIOUS" Tab.)  

As imperfect people, the only way to show Holy Love to others is by progressing through the developmental steps of life using your faith in the Triune Christian God as you take each step so that your spirit, soul and body are aiming at the same target. ​​​​

Summary of graphic:

Gratitude keeps God at the center of your life. You prove your Christianity by making decisions and taking actions  that are directed to please the Source of the your gratitude. In the New Testament, when you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is the only way to the Father, you are sent the Holy Spirit to reside in your heart, permanently (John 14:16, Ephesians 4:29). Your mind, soul and body are left untouched and need to be directed by you. You must desire and decide (the function of your will) to train your body to mimic God’s Holy and righteous standards so you can replace old, cultural habits that are no longer consistent with your heart’s desires. Your gratitude for God's gift of himself, come rain or shine, generates your actions/habits of repentance, prayer, and loving kindness (Romans 10:9-10).

​​Author's notes

A Christian perspective is unique among the majority of the people in the world in that it is selfless. Our actions show our decision to let God be the one to direct our steps. Dependence on God is shown through prayer and actions of love. Our mouth confesses and our body shows what is true in our heart. It reveals God is at the center of our life.

 

The Bible is God’s manual for healthy spiritual, emotional and physical living. Taking a detailed look into the Bible is like reading a car manual. It is necessary to know the workings of your car so you can accurately know how to drive and can accurately troubleshoot when problems arise. In most cars, the quick reference guide is stored in your car’s glove compartment. With the Bible, each time you read it, you can make your own quick reference guide, stored in your heart! When you trust the instructions, you'll leave the results to God. Faith inspired action is believing; it's Christian Cognitive Consistency (2 Corinthians 5:7, 2 Peter 3:15)!

 

​​I testify that what is written in the Create Your New Normal website is an outpouring of my transformed life in Jesus Christ.

 

As God's creation and made in His image, I believe that man is also a three part being; spirit, soul, and body,            but because we live in a physical world, all three need to be aimed at the same target to have integrity to God and to live at peace with yourself and your neighbor (Genesis 1:26, Matthew 28:19, Revelation 3:2). For me, after I was immediately justified by God, I hungered for more Biblical understanding which lead to the realization that my own actions did not always align with God’s and that the consequences I (a believer) was facing were from my own Christian cognitive dissonance and had nothing to do with God’s faithfulness. 

​

It’s never too late to repent and become a Christian. All of us are corrupted from sin ever since Adam and Eve’s        original sin. (That's one reason why we are not aware that our habits are bad until we are "born from above"              (John 3:4-6, 1:12-13, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Peter 1:23.)

 

​God’s mercy and grace is always available to everyone who believes in the Triune Christian Sovereign God (Lamentations 3:22-23).

  • Reread the home page.

  • Will you ShinE   brightly for God (Matthew 5:15-16)?

  • Will you align your reality with the Truth of God’s Word?

 

My prayer for you

May your hope see God’s path; may your belief lead you to choose it. May you take the action that shows your trust and love is in God, above everyone else, by walking like Christ did. May you experience the peace that passes all understanding as you trade your old self-concept for Christ's identity in you. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. God bless you as you journey through life.

2

The "next page" button below leads you to the next tab in the CYNN website called "Capture Your Vision". This tab provides you with worksheets that will help you evaluate your habits and crystalize your vision of your "new normal" life. 

  • Aside from reading the Appendecies, you can also dig dipper into the Resources tab and you'll find hundreds of articles and other websites with articles on various topics that can enhance your perspective. 

  • If you find that you are still anxious, read the articles in the "Still Anxious?" Tab.

© 2019-2026 CYNN

bottom of page