Instincts (behavioral reactions attributed to brain chemicals that stimulate body motion) and impulsiveness (behavioral reactions caused by unprocessed thoughts or ingrained habits) are similar in that they are automatic replies to stimuli. These are unconscious electromagnetic signals that alert the brain to start the process of moving the body to action. These reactions are good and necessary when the situation invokes an appropriate instinct like fight or flight or a deeply ingrained habit like performing CPR in an emergency situation. Instincts and impulses are processed in the brain at high speed. In non-emergency situations, without intention focusing the mind, you may fall victim to impulse and bad habits.

 

Responses are more deliberate than reactions. Reasoned responses come from a state of consciousness. The role of the conscience is the awareness of choice (Earl, B. (2014)). Conscientiousness is a learned personality trait that requires thinking and choice. Thinking is the stimuli that interrupts the brain's autopilot process (mentioned above) and provides you with an opportunity to evaluate the appropriateness of your action. Intentionality, or goal-oriented thinking, is responsive. In personality science, it would be said that your conscientiousness houses your criteria for behavioral integrity so that you can intentionally choose an option that is consistent with your beliefs achieving cognitively consistent behavior (Gawronski, B., & Brannon, S. M. (2019), Hogan, J., & Ones, D. S. (1997)).

 

Conscientiousness is defined as an inner feeling or voice that acts as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of behavior. By introducing intention (meaning that you have some overarching goal that disciplines your behavior), you pause to think about how you should respond to a situation based on your values and your long-term goal, not just habit or the quickest course of action. Pausing introduces the opportunity to respond and puts you in control of your choice of behavior.

 

When you are in a high stress situation, the automacy of your reactions (the tendency is to slip back into comfortable habits - without thinking it through) is even more pronounced (Duhigg, C. (2012)). Sorting through feelings like fear, anger, sadness, disgust, surprise, and/or trying to control a negative imagination may seem overwhelming at the moment but intentional thinking will focus your mind in on achieving your higher goal. When something unexpected / unwanted happens and it triggers your impulsiveness and old habits come flooding back. Habits are not just physical; they are patterns of thinking and emotions too. If you feel tempted to react to a non-vital impulse, pause, listen for the anxious feeling of generated by cognitive dissonance and recognize that your reaction is inconsistent with your goals. By interrupting thought, you can redirect the body.

 

 

 

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Break through the automacy of habits by asking yourself this one question; “Is this the right thing to do?” The word "right" in the question forms a personal criterion that interrupts an impulse and causes you to think about how your impending behavior measures up against / aligns with / jives with your integrity. Change requires not only that you are conscious of the stimuli that triggered unwanted or ineffective behavior, but that you are aware of your anticipated goal. Make an intentional decision to change your goal when a habit proves itself to be unproductive.

• Read more about things for a Christian to consider before making a decision in Appendix 2M.

 

For example, the smell of cigarette smoke might prompt you to think that you should be smoking or drinking, so you do. In this example, your mind awakens to the smell of smoke and it triggers an immediate thought, geared towards instant gratification, to fulfill a craving. If you want to be free of this addiction, once you were aware of both the smell of smoke and the desire to smoke or drink, you would make an intentional decision to choose a different response option, like chewing a piece of gum or leaving a smokey environment. "Freedom" implies the opportunity and the willingness to make a choice.

 

Addiction is a universal problem and does not discriminate - it is possible in everybody. Even Christians (those who have already confessed Christ as Lord) have a choice to either use self-discipline (which activates the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit) to display Godly integrity or to yield to the cravings of the flesh for instant gratification (Galatians 5:13, 16, Ephesians 5:15, 5:17). Whatever is chosen becomes etched into memory and when repeated, becomes a pattern of behavior that eventually becomes unconscious, automatic habits. You stay stuck in these unconscious habits until new awareness breaks through which begins the change process. (Appendix 1F reviews the learning process as it relates to skill building and Appendix 1O for insight into understanding change.) When it comes to a conversion or conviction (a change in thinking), goals are introduced and motivates repentance (a change in direction) and this births the desire to form and use new habits to reach these new goals (Acts 3:19-20, 26:20, 2:38, 2 Timothy 2:25-26, James 4:8-10, Philippians 4:6-7). It is important to update your target goals (criteria) as life unfolds so your character integrity matures. As character maturity increases, confidence and peace of mind increase, while uncertainty, insecurity and anxiety decrease (1 Peter 3:15-16, Philippians 4:6-7, Proverbs 11:3, Psalm 25:21-22, Fradelos EC, Kapsiocha E, Tzavella F, Kastanidou S, Tsaras K, Papagiannis D, Papathanasiou IV, (2019).

Feeding your conscience daily with the Word of God promotes both scriptural obedience and scriptural liberty rather than legalism or carelessness about sin (Beeke, J. R., & Jones, M. (2012), Galatians 5:1, James 3:4). Read in Genesis 39 about Joseph's decision to run away from Potifar's wife when she tried to seduce him. Christlike wisdom is the result of steadily and progressively applying Christian knowledge and understanding to the everyday decisions. (For more about the difference between Godly wisdom and man’s wisdom, read James 3:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 1:18-31). Using a God-consciousness (made by your free-will decision) spurs on Spirit-infused, righteous behavior which overpowers the human tendency to sin and this is what turns Godly wisdom into your insight (Proverbs 4:1-2, 7:1-5). Christian insight is honoring God by expressing His character through your attitude and behavior because of your acknowledgement of both His sovereignty and your gratitude towards Him (Psalm 92:1-2, John 14:26, Colossians 3:16-17). Read in Genesis 39 about Joseph's decision to run away from Potifar's wife when she tried to seduce him.  

 

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Let your conscience be your guide is only a true phrase if your conscious was fed the Word of God and you willingly act out that truth. When God’s Word is the stimulus that breaks through your bad habits, you have allowed Godly wisdom to penetrate your heart and this drive changes to behavior that are reflective of your awareness of your position as a Child of God with the ability to manifest Christlike behavior. Read more in Appendix 1 H. Using Godly insight yields behavioral integrity; a Christian who confidently walks the talk of love because of the decision to act on their values. A Christian who doesn't act on the Word of God develops cognitive dissonance; knowing the right thing to do and then you consciously decide NOT to do it (James 4:17, 1 John 4:6).

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​You are responsible for your decisions and the quality of your decisions determine whether or not you attain your God-given destiny. Your choices reveal who you serve (Joshua 24:15, Romans 12:1-3). As a Christian in recovery for addiction, choosing to follow God and Godly friends will lead you along the path to recovery but a wrong choice in selecting either a “higher authority” or friends with different goals and values (wrong being to choose yourself and/or those around you) will lead to unwanted consequences and unrealistic expectations of yourself, others and God. Making God your highest authority cleanses your conscience from guilt over past behavioral mistakes and empowers you to change, birthing your desire for Christian cognitively consistency. Your personal well-being is supported when you choose friends that act consistently with God's will as declared throughout the Bible (Psalm 1:1-2, 4:2, Proverbs 3:1-4, Hebrews 10:21-24, 10:36, Titus 3:8-10, 1 Timothy 4:8).

• Look for the common thinking strategies found in the successful use of a program such as Alcoholics Anonymous in Appendix 1B

• Read more in the "Introduction" section of "Manage Self in a Social World".

 

Making a choice to NOT change your faulty decision-making will produce more of the same old unhealthy, unbalanced lifestyle, further escalating cognitive dissonance, producing anxiety that triggers relapse (Isaiah 53:6, Mathew 24:4, Romans 10:3). Your decisions either confirm your Godly-conscience producing peace and security or violate it causing unrest and anxiety. Read more in the STILL ANXIOUS? If you do not choose to act on a Godly thought but choose instead to listen to your own or someone else’s untamed voice, you have drowned out the Spirit’s leading and your mind has buried God's Word underneath your cravings and emotions (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19). ​If you are Christian, but you decide to do your own thing (act impulsively to please yourself instead of God), your mind becomes cloudy. It’s important to step back from automatic habits and take time to explore the reasons you do them.

• What is the underlying reason pushing the habit under investigation? Is it simply a matter of instant gratification and undisciplined desires or is it: Denial? Subjective reality? Weak or false self-image? Faulty perception? Temptation? Independence?​ Unbelief in the promises of God?

 

​Value-based decision making for a Christian results in peace from Christian cognitive consistency because you know you have made a decision based on God's right standard of truth rather than your feelings ((1 Corinthians 6:19, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Deuteronomy 28:13, Ephesians 2:8-10, John 1:17 and read comments at gotquestions.org). Acceptance of God's truth may be uncomfortable (due to the change/skill building process), but His truth sets you on a trajectory towards a secure future. This foundation enables you to set and attain new life goals which is how you'll establish your new normal behavior (Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Peter 1:19)! As the Apostle Paul’s advised Timothy, "fan the flame” (2 Timothy 1:6, for a pastor's perspective on this subject, read Pastor Steadman’s sermon entitled "Fit to be Used" in the Capture your Vision tab). Decide to walk with insight, displaying integrity and gratitude to God. Gratitude (also an expression of conscience) shifts both your attitude and behavior away from yourself and frees you to express the actions and attitudes of Christ's Spirit. By allowing the Holy Spirit to be reflective in you, you are able to achieve the standards of a Holy, loving and just God because you have willingly chosen to be God-conscience and act on His definition of love, truth, righteous and goodness (Ephesians 5:9, 18-21, Galatians 5:16, 5:22-23, Mark 12:30-31, 2 Timothy 2:22, James 4:7-10, Romans 12:1-3, Matthew 22:37-39). 

 

There is a physiological change that occurs when you walk in love because of a clear conscience. The emotions of love and hope stimulate the secretion of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Fear, on the other hand, produces cortisol, your body’s natural response to tension. (Cortisol, a hormone designed to combat stress – is used to boost your energy for moments when the fight or flight response is activated, but is not meant to be used 24/7.) You can stimulate more dopamine and less cortisol by shifting your perspective to an optimistic Christian faith because of the decision to and goal of following Christ. A Christian who chooses not to be tamed by the knowledge of God brings negative and often unanticipated physical and emotional consequences upon him or herself which can cause doubt to rise and add additional stress to the mind (Galatians 6:7-9, Luke 1:37, Isaiah 41:13, Psalm 23:4, 27:1). 

 

If you are having trouble retraining your mind and body, consider that sometimes you are not able to identify the problem because it may be within your own self. Your addiction has become engrained into your personality and now you suffer from an unconscious identity problem (read more in Appendix 2F and Appendix 2J). Faulty decision-making from unrealistic expectations and an underlying self-esteem issue are hard to identify and needs to be remedy along with your addiction in order to be resolved. If you, as a Christian, are stuck in this cycle of addiction, this may indicate that you are still holding on to some control. You are not trusting God above your circumstances (Proverbs 3:5-7). Consider that there are some underlying, unresolved, issues in you that may be causing the blockage. Consider these possibilities;

• Making a decision to NOT listen to the advice of a proven trustworthy "higher authority" indicates you may have false pride, which is a natural defense mechanism protecting a fragile ego. It blinds you to your responsibility when making wrong choices. If you find yourself playing the blame game or that you make a conscious decision to do what you want, when you want to, and you intentionally do not act on the advice on the Bible or God-fearing people, reexamine your motives. If you say you want different results for your life and you are still independent minded, change your thinking so it is consistent with your goal, and deny the temptation of your physical senses to gain instant gratification (1 John 2:16). (This concept is explored further in relationship to your social identity, as explained later in "Manage Yourself in a Social World". The concept of living by the truth of the Word of God is explained in terms of how to trade your independent spirit for the relationship with Jesus Christ in Appendix 2N). 

• ​Maybe you are a person who may have been brought up with Christian values, but you have not personalized your relationship with Christ. If your heart has not been changed by God's Spirit of truth and love, your understanding of "the fear and love" of the Lord will be skewed and cognitive dissonance will remain uncorrected (1 Peter 1:17). When this is prolonged, eventually your body wears down and eventually destroys your values resulting in a seared conscious and a routine of sinful behavior (a result of values being hid in your mind rather than your heart (Jeremiah 2:21-23, 32, Romans 1:17-23, 1 Timothy 4:2, Titus 1:15, James 3:14-16). ​Turning to God to change this outcome is worth the discomfort of change.