Appendix 2G; Act with Godly Insight
James 1:5, Proverbs 2:1-9, Ephesians 1
How do you express your hope?
Insight is knowing when and which strategy to implement to attain your targeted outcome. This is a learned decision-making skill that is used so often it feels like a natural response (step 4 in Appendix 1F). Godly insight develops from knowing the right time and the best Christian principle to apply to your current predicament.
Hyperlinks used above; Proverbs 1:1-10 Ephesians 3:16-19 Isaiah 60:1 Psalm 95:8
By remembering to honor God in what you do, you will make decisions quickly without much deliberation because faith acts on what it sees and believes (2 Corinthians 5:7, James 2:26, Galatians 5:6). That's when God’s Holy Love flows, unrestricted, from the eyes of your heart to the movement of your hands and feet (Acts 26:15-18). Gaining insight begins with a correct understanding of God's love, given freely to you based on who He is, not who you are. As the Apostle Paul explained in Ephesians 2:8-10,
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them and understanding of grace.
Developing insight is contingent on your practice of implementing Divine Holy standards because this is how you develop experiential knowledge of the Triune Christian God. It's realizing that the outcome of your Christian faith is love (1 John 4:19). Your insight is knowing when to make the choice to apply Holy Love (Ephesians 4:10, Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 36:26-27, 20:11, Deuteronomy 5:6-21, Psalm 40:8, Hebrews 8:10). It is a consistent decision to show God's character through your personality while still awaiting His planned outcome to take place in your life (Psalm 14:2, Proverbs 2:3, Proverbs 3:13). By believing in Holy Love, even when you are upset, you show your confidence in the Word of God (believing that on becoming a Christian you were declared holy and perfect in God's sight because of Christ). Because of your belief and because you trust the Source of that belief - God, you act (2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 2:20, 1 John 3:21, James 2:17).
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For a quick look at God's principles, revisit Appendix 1G.
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For further study of God's love and sovereignty, see a sampling of Biblical scriptures: Isaiah 46:10, 45:7-9, Romans 9:15-18, 8:28, Ephesians 1:11, Matthew 10:29–31, 1 Timothy 6:15, Daniel 4:34–35, 1 John 4:16-18.
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Psychologist Erick Erickson labeled step five in his psycho-social development chart as an identity crisis. With faith as your foundation and with your identity discovered in Christ, you will successfully pull through each stage and possess insight as a mature Christian (Hebrews 5:14). For more insight into this reread the ... Actively Rest in Christ section in the Art of Self-mastery tab.
Learning how to apply God's Holy Love to your life takes time, understanding and practice (Galatians 5:13, 16, 22-23). When you choose the right time and the right principle to apply to circumstances, you demonstrate the wisdom of God to your neighbors through your application/insight (2 Timothy 2:15). For example, when you are tempted to give in to the feeling of anxiety, you'll intentionally shift your focus to remember the truth of God’s Word so you'll act consistently with it. When you are mad or hurt about a situation, first you'll forgive and then you'll be able to implement ideas that reconnect the pathway back to an amiable relationship. By receiving God’s love for yourself, you'll feel inspired to shake off disappointments, offenses and negative thinking so you can physically act out your spiritual reality achieving peace with God and man because His righteous character is willingly expressed through you (Proverbs 3:4, Romans 5:1, Isaiah 32:17-18, Philippians 1:11).
Love is not about perfection or always having the right answer. The virtue of love is hiding in your heart and once awakened by God, grows with each choice you make to use it. When you do practice the skills of God's type of love, another outcome is an ever-increasing ability to discern situations and solve complex challenges - your own as well as others.
Quick Decisions reveal Confidence and Tend to Come From Character Integrity
Academic researchers concur that a quick decision, communicates higher moral certainty and stronger conviction to observers (Critcher, C. R., Inbar, Y., & Pizarro, D. A. (2013)). Not one of the people listed in Hebrews chapter 11 was a perfect follower of God but did act on what he or she heard/knew about God. For example, Abraham and Noah may have heard God’s voice but Rehab made decisions simply based on what she heard and believed of God’s reputation. Ruth didn’t know God personally; however, she was motivated to act consistently with the values she saw displayed in Naomi (her mother-in-law), as was proven by Ruth's decision to move back to Bethlehem with her (https://www.gotquestions.org/Ruth-and-Naomi.html). Samson trusted that, even though he was a rebellious son of God, when he cried out to Him, God would hear his prayer. God not only heard it, but even though Sampson didn't have pure motives, God answered Sampson's prayer because it achieved God's will (Judges 16:28).
A note about the habit of Procrastination
When God is the highest value/priority in life and when you believe 1 Corinthians 1:29-31 when the Bible says
that you are made perfect by being in Christ, then you'll discern the right thing to do, however, that doesn't mean you'll do it (Deuteronomy 32:4). Procrastination is an example of our incomplete understanding of or acceptance of what you know to be true about God. You may have other feelings alongside your faith that slow down or halt your reaction time, like fear, worry, doubt and/or unbelief. If you are a perfectionist, you surround your sunshine of faith with a rain cloud that comes from your uncertainty and this postpones the sun from shinning again until the rain comes. But, when you act with certainty, your faith vaporizes the cloud and the sun/Son ShinE s (your faith is the hope or anticipation of the promised outcome; Hebrews 11:1). Certainty in thought produces action*.
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*This rationale is also true when applied to the decision to buy something. An article from the Harvard Business Review, quoted this: Across dozens of studies spanning more than two decades, consumer and social psychologists have shown that people who are certain of their beliefs are more likely to buy, buy sooner, and spend more.
A note about anxiety
Anxiety will surface in you if you incorrectly believe that God expects perfection from you. Perfectionism as well as procrastination carries with it emotional anxiety that prevents you from change because of your psycho or social fear as opposed to the Holy fear of God. Grace Norberg (2015) says,
On the surface, being a perfectionist seems like a good thing. It sounds like something one would say in a job interview when they ask about “weaknesses” but you know you should still showcase your strengths. However, perfectionism can be a real burden and negatively affect your life if you let it go too far. Perfectionism is actually a defense mechanism protecting against the pain of being wrong or feeling like a failure. It can lead to being judgmental towards yourself and others, alienating friends and family, engaging in negative self-talk, and feelings of stress and anxiety.
Yours or another's erroneous beliefs don't need to form your reality when you have the Truth of God's Word to align your thinking (Romans 1:21-22, 25). These are self-imposed barriers to the freedom you can find when you practice Christian Cognitive Consistency.
Hope sees and acts on what your faith believes!
Know and trust God!
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