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Insight for Daily Living

Insight can be defined as your capacity to gain an accurate and deep understanding of a concept and apply it to future decisions. Insightful people have learned to delay their desire for instant gratification so they can stay on track to achieve long-term, goals. When a you, a Christian, demonstrates insight, your behavior is said to be cognitively consistent so that what you do is consistent with what you say and what you say is consistent with your values. Being in Christ secures your identity and tenderizes your heart. This heartfelt attitude inspires like-behavior and perpetuates an optimism that pulls your behavior up into a new normal lifestyle in Christ. Let your faith in and knowledge of God motivate you to the action of delayed gratification (the voluntary use of use self-control and patience) because of gratitude (past) and hope (future).

 

One result of being in Christ is that it eliminates false pride. Knowing that someone else besides you controls the destiny of the world shapes your perception as you journey through life. This trait is called humility (me second) and is in direct opposition to pride (me first). Secular and Christian scientists and psychologists agree on the benefits of humility to our emotional health. Scientists see “humility as a virtue of self-regulation”, attributing humility to an “(a) accurate self-appraisal, (b) low self-focus (an orientation toward others), and (c) the capacity for emotional self-regulation” (Jankowski, P. J., and Sandage, S. J., (2014)). Positive psychologists Peterson and Seligman (2014) lists humility as an important trait in character development. Emotional intelligence specialist Daniel Goldman also wrote about the necessity to have a humble perspective to maintain your well-being.

 

Pride is a concept used in the Bible that gains its interpretation from how it’s being used. There are times when God uses people to show that human pride, stemming from self-absorption, leads to sin and times when God uses those who fear and love Him to show others an example of humility stemming from an outward display of confidence driven by a God-first view of yourself. There are many scriptures that point to the deceptiveness of unbridled human pride (Ecclesiastes 7:16, Romans 12:16, 1 Corinthians 4:7, Philippians 3:3-4, 1 Peter 4:11). The problem with self-absorbed pride is that it is not obvious in you, although it is a trait that can be easily observed in you by another person. It can be likened to a spice maker with twenty years of experience whose senses have been dulled to the smell of spices, but that same smell is strong to a person who is new to that environment.

The Bible clearly emphasizes humility as the main character trait that motivates a single-minded altruistic pride (McGovern, T. V. (2017), Proverbs 18:12, Romans 12:3, Ephesians 3:14-19). 

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Your perception (the way you interpret feedback) shapes your attitude and this further dilutes the true definition of a word. Continuing to use pride as an example, extremes of pride can corrupt your definition of unconditional love from both an acceptance and a giving standpoint. For someone who has never experienced unconditional love, God’s love could be misconstrued so you think His love is contingent on performance. Emphasis on your performance rather than God's character is an example of a self-image that is based on a faulty premise and results in a distorted view of reality that leaves you feeling anxious and uneasy. This self-focused pride is disguised as confidence (cockiness/arrogance) or shyness (resulting in under-utilized potential), neither of which feeds a balanced, healthy identity, but rather this false sense of pride triggers the development of defense mechanisms that protect your personhood. When you have you have a faulty self-image, it skews or manipulates what seems to you to be pure intentions. It makes Christian character integrity seem impossible (resulting in blame instead of responsibility) and because of that thinking you make behavioral decisions that result in unexpected consequences that reinforces a skewed identity. Human pride subsequently leaves you unfulfilled, searching for an affirmation of your worth.

 

Too much pride in self, rather than a healthy spiritual pride made up of gratitude to God, is incapable of giving or receiving unconditional love. For others who are still experiencing guilt or shame (rather than spiritual pride), God’s love may not be interpreted as a gift but rather it may feel like an obligation to perform a duty to earn His love which perpetuates an unworthy attitude. Both examples show an incorrect understanding of God’s grace by misinterpreting the freedom Christ died to give you -- heartfelt actions of Christian integrity, Ballenger, M. 2017, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 5:1, 2 Timothy 1:7).

  • Read more about humility and gratitude in Appendices 2O, 2P.

 

If you doubt or deny parts of God’s Word, if you pick and choose (a sign of physical pride overruling/grieving your Spirit) what you believe, your Christian faith won’t be effectual in that specific area and love will be seen as conditional (Philemon 1:6). God never leaves you and He provides that which is consistent with what the Bible reveals, however, He will only provide what the Word promises when you actually act out His instructions. Action reveals what you accept and believe to be true of and possible in God's Word. (You reap what you sow whether your sow according to your own principles or God's Galatians 6:7-8). Your faith being the only variable to this trusting/faithful relationship with God.

  • Revisit Appendix 1G to review God's Biblical principles using a refreshed perspective.

 

Only by faith will you get what you ask for when you believe God is not only loving but truthful but is capable and willing to do as recorded in the Holy Christian Bible. Faith is believing that He will do what you ask - not because you think too highly or lowly of yourself, but because you believe in God's character integrity, not your own (Matthew 9:29, 1 John 5:14). You are eligible to receive what is promised in His Word because of God's mercy and grace and your humility and submission towards Him. (A false sense of pride submits only to self.) Together, these attitudes motivate your obedience to His principles without doubting your worthiness or your feelings of entitlement. You will see the truth and freedom of a spiritual reality revealed in your physical world when you know God and act in accordance with what you know to be true of His Word (James 1:5-8). This is called your spiritual insight (Hosea 12:6, John 20:21-22, Ephesians 1:17, see Appendix 2G). ​

  • Read the story about how God opened the Spiritual eyes of Elisha the prophet as recorded in 2 Kings 6:8-23.

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Honoring God in Word and deed?

King Solomon, King David's son by Bathsheba, is a good biblical example of someone who began life fearing God and being humble towards Him, but grew into a man who did not honor God with his physical deeds (James 2:18). King Solomon, whether consciously or not, by his actions (dissonance between values and deeds) traded the peace of God for his own aggrandizement and public fame which led to his anxiety and regret later in life; (Proverbs 16:18, 29:25, Galatians 1:10, Revelation 2:4). 

 

God made a promise to David that he would never take his love away from Solomon, denoting the difference between the earthly and Spiritual consequences from daily choices. King Solomon was wooed by the temptations of this world which led him to make decisions that grieved and quenched the Holy Spirit in this life, leaving his heart unfulfilled, driving anxiety and unrest despite the riches and pleasures of the world (Ephesians 4:30, Proverbs 22:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-24). However, God remained faithful to His promise to David that he and his family line would forever be a part of God's kingdom (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, 2 Samuel 7:13-17). King Solomon realized, later in life,

that it was his pride that drew Him away from praising God's kingdom, as written about in the book of Ecclesiastes.

  • Read about the choice for Christians to grieve or express the Holy Spirit in Appendix 1L.

 

Below is a quick recap of the sovereignty of God working with Solomon's free will; an example of man's life choices and how your decisions impact consequences in this physical life.     

 

King Solomon was appointed to receive the throne when David died, as recorded in 1 Kings 2:1-4,

When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ ​

Then in 1 Chronicles 29:19, King David prayed to ask God this:

“Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision.” 

Solomon became King of Israel at a young age and started off as a God fearing, obedient King, with a love for God’s law. He was abundantly blessed by God. God had given Him so much wisdom, King Solomon was known as the richest and wisest man in the world. But with time and success, Solomon’s attitude changed from that of a humble servant of the Lord to a self-assured and self-absorbed King. As a wise and proud king, he grew accustom to getting any desire he sought. Solomon no longer gave God first priority in life. The abundance of his possessions lead him to place others ahead of God. He no longer held himself to a higher standard of excellence. He replaced self-denial with self-indulgence. He no longer read the law, he married foreign wives and tolerated their gods (1 Kings 11:1-4). King Solomon still worshipped God ceremonially but he was also partaking in the worship of pagan gods, a direct rejection of the first commandment (Exodus 20:3). Visit Appendix 2S for a closer look into behavioral integrity. ​

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Although Solomon had known and relied on God, he drifted away and lost his first love (Hebrews 2:1, Revelation 2:4). He was not in daily fellowship with God anymore and His obedience diminished, as cautioned by God in Deuteronomy 17:17-20. His “relative truth” eroded his once humble, obedient, submissive, God-fearing, attitude

and this prevented wisdom from growing into insight (Appendix 2G). Solomon learned later in life, as penned in the book of Ecclesiastes, that obedience to God meant more than just going through the motions of honoring God with his lips and practicing animal sacrifices (Isaiah 1:11-13). Honoring God means not just to be aware of but to diligently follow God’s ways because you honor Him above yourself (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Philippians 4:13, 1 John 3:18). It is an intentional decision to remain loyal to God ways despite the circumstances of your life (Joshua 24:14-15).​ Doing this is what it looks like when you make intentional, value-based decisions that align with God's will, rather than choosing to follow your own, self-centered, desires Appendix 2L).

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King Solomon eventually learned that choice is a God-given right to man that guarantees man’s free agency while maintaining God’s sovereignty. For love to be unconditional, it must be a matter of choice. Showing love and respect for God is a matter of free will. (See Appendices 1F, 1K, 1M, 1U and 2R, 2T for more perspectives on this concept.) King Solomon reflects on his life’s decisions throughout the book of Ecclesiastes. As the book winds down, we see what King Solomon learned as a result of his daily decision-making. King Solomon concludes his analysis of life by saying this in Ecclesiastes 12:13, "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” This shows that Solomon finally learned the connection between his head and his heart; that respecting God means humbling yourself, not just with your thoughts but in your single-minded, God focused actions. Doing this reveals your insight into Christianity (read more in Appendix 2G).

 

Learning from Solomon's life

Applying King Solomon’s end of life remarks to any kind of addiction (to drugs, work, hopelessness, money, fame, etc.), you can glean this; if you choose not to follow the instructions of the Lord, or when you mis-manage your priorities, you will wander aimlessly and restlessly and will reap earthly, natural consequences (Galatians 5:16, 6:8). When you place an addictive thought or behavior above God, whether consciously or not, you will experience the physical and emotional consequences of that particular choice IN THIS LIFE. If you apply King Solomon’s experience to your life today, you too will learn the wisdom of calling on the Lord from a single-minded heart (2 Timothy 2:22). ​

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Believing that you need something outside of God to fulfill you is like “chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). It’s like a marketing strategy used in the business world to motivate consumers to purchase things that, when not countered by your individual values, can mislead your thinking, and keep you caught up in a chase to find fulfillment and satisfaction in everything but God. It’s a meaningless chase that has no end and keeps you feeling empty. As the creator of the world, it is God’s creation that needs to adjust their attitude and behavior toward His standards (Psalm 81:10-12, 119:9, Proverbs 1:23-26, 13:18, 16:20, Luke 12:16-20).

Who is at the center of your will and what is it you’re chasing after?

 

Allow the Word of God to shape your perspective. Pray to God and ask for understanding so you can apply His Word as intended (Matthew 7:9, Acts 8:30-31, 2 Timothy 2:15). Show your responsibility and accountability to God by carrying out your intentions through your deeds for all to see (Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:22). Replace an attitude of “never enough” with “contentment” (Ecclesiastes 4:8, Philippians 4:11-13). Decide today that you will act out God’s Word, despite living in a social world with different beliefs (1 Kings 9:4, Psalm 34:13-14, Romans 14:14, Ephesians 5:1, 1 Peter 1:15). A Christian opts to be self-sacrificing rather than to be self-indulgent, resting in the assurance that God provides for those who love Him (2 Chronicles 7:14, 29:31-36, Romans 8:28, 12:1, 1 Timothy 6:7). The tradeoff is boundless self-consumption and emptiness for self-sacrificing yet fulfilling actions that show the willingness of your heart to please a Righteous God (Matthew 7:26, Luke 14:25-33, Colossians 3:2-3).This is how you shinE   Christ in a dark world (Matthew 5:16​, Appendix 2U).

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Are you using God’s grace to change?

  • Change begins with awareness. In the "Capture your Vision" Workbook tab, there are various self-assessment exercises that will help you narrow in on possible psycho-social reasons for a lack of long-term change causing relapse into bad habits.

  • Read more on living out the change in your everyday life in Appendix 2Q.

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