Insight: God's Light for Values - Part 2

The essentials for effective change are insight, endurance and action, and usually develop slowly in separate stages but may occur simultaneously. Insight generates honesty with oneself and then stands with what is right and with authentic moral decisions. Insight serves as a bridge to value formation and clarification.

Values lay the groundwork for the development of self-respect and are incompatible with guilt, shame and disgust with oneself. God does forgive our sins when we confess, repent and express faith in Christ Jesus. Self-respect is a product of a clear conscience and is strengthened by refusing to take the easy way through life's challenges.

Ephesians 5:22 identifies self-control as a fruit of the Spirit. So, insight is God’s enlightenment that helps us make healthy choices. Self-respect derives from a clear conscience and aids us in choosing the narrow way that leads to life now and for eternity. The challenge is both difficult and rewarding. 

Insight: God's Light for Values - Part 1

One task of a counselor is to help clients gain insight for effective change. One of my psychology professors described insight simply as enlightenment. You now understand what was beyond comprehension. Insight is understanding, fused to wisdom, so that what you believe and the way you behave can be altered.

True, healthy insight is transforming because as it merges with your heart and soul, it changes how you live. Insight discovers at every age and stage of life new clues that identify who you are and what you can do. The pathway to ethical decisions and wiser choices comes from insight, as facts and truth are discovered about yourself and others.

Jesus said the true pathway to freedom is knowing the truth, accepting it and then finding ways of applying this knowledge to everyday life. Jesus promised to send the Counselor, whose role is to make known to every believer the truths of everything he taught. Isn't that exciting? Open your heart and mind and receive this promise.

Insight + Endurance + Action = Change - Part 3

Seldom does a day pass that didn’t require the need to change some aspect of life. Here we have two options: deny the need and neglect the chance for change, or go forward and pursue the opportunity God provides. God is at work to bring about maturity and insight. Listening and responding are choices which ensure that healthy change is acknowledged.

Insight is key to growth and maturity. 1 Timothy 4:29 identifies the source of wisdom and insight. "God gave Solomon wisdom and insight, and knowledge too great to be measured."  Proverbs 7:4 offers this advice: "Treat wisdom as your sister and insight as your close friend." Webster defines insight as the capacity to discern the true nature of a situation.

Insight should be pursued because it provides a permanent richness and fulfillment to life. It's the avenue to better relationships with friends, co-workers, family and God. Yet gaining insight requires diligent study and listening with determination to understand. God gives this gift to the willing, responsible recipient, so choose to be one. 

Insight + Endurance + Action = Change - Part 2

Change is usually dependent upon available choices but may be complicated by lack of courage to move forward. Three components of change are insight, endurance, and action. Insight is the capacity to comprehend possibilities that previously were obscure and to realize choices are now available to move forward.

To achieve what’s possible may require enduring trials and testing, perhaps failure. God's word assures believers who endure that they will be rewarded for their investment. That investment could include training for a new job, parenting children through the difficulties of adolescence, or enduring a bad marriage while hoping for a renewal of love, passion and friendship.

Insight, along with endurance, builds character and stamina that are ready for action and effective change. Jesus instructed his followers to go make disciples of all people, teaching them and baptizing them so they could be his people. Action under-girded by faith and trust honors God and makes effective change possible.  

Insight + Endurance + Action = Change - Part 1

Numerous times I've asked God to help me with something so I could be better prepared for a difficult task. Insight is essential for inaugurating needed change. Insight may come immediately or gradually, but applying the insight and wisdom God gives is essential for change. God gives us determination to integrate insight into our behavior and thinking patterns.

This is where endurance, the second component of change comes into play.   What does the word endurance mean to you? Endurance has a stick-to-it attitude. God's word informs us that Jesus endured the cross, the humiliation, the shame and pain so we would not have to endure eternal separation from God.

The end result of endurance is confirmation by God. "He who endures to the end will be saved." We have an advocate who remembers, who never forgets, who provides help at just the right time. Endurance is supplemented with stamina, which is replenished as we stay true to our calling in Christ Jesus. 

Imagine the Possibilities: Take Action - Part 3

If we’re honest, it’s relatively easy to realize some changes need to be made in certain areas of life. For some folks, minor changes would be sufficient, but for others, a major overhaul would be needed if this acknowledgment were taken seriously. Can you imagine the first century apostles, evangelists, preachers and teachers as they turned the world upside down with their commitment to Jesus?

The task of change is related to three basic components: insight, endurance and action. Change may hit like a tornado or come gently and unexpectedly. Change does require energy and effort as well as determination to endure. Insight as an agent of change is knowledge gained either deliberately or accidentally.

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world.  In me there is no darkness." To those who comprehend and accept this challenge, a new world of experience awaits them. Jesus also said, “Take up your cross and follow me” to a different kind of experience, but one that honors and pleases God. This means Take Action. 

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You are invited to listen as I will be the guest on "Vital Issues in the Christian Home" next week on Thursday morning, May 19 from 10:30-11:30 Central Daylight Time on KHCB radio at 105.7 FM in the Houston area. To stream it live or for a listing of sister stations in TX, OK, LA, AR and FL, you may click on the KHCB link in the "About Me" section of this page.

Imagine the Possibilities: Take Action - Part 2

The issue of self-esteem has been a popular subject of numerous books and magazine articles. Self-esteem is related to the way you view yourself, what you think of yourself in relationship to the world, your perception of other people and what you think they think of you. Self-esteem is inseparable from your identity.

Your identity and purpose punctuate your uniqueness. The Apostle Paul instructed the church at Rome to be clothed, to put on Jesus Christ. To embrace Christ Jesus is a choice which assimilates all you are with the attributes and attitude of Christ Jesus himself. Amazingly, God gives you faith and righteousness when you accept Jesus as Lord of your life.

As you realize how gracious God is, it generates a yearning to love Him with all your heart and to love others as yourself. It is possible to love yourself as a child of God whose identity intersects with the righteousness of God. Though difficult to actualize such a choice, this privilege is made possible by God’s grace and mercy.