In His Image...Gaining insight and being reconstructed

We are at this moment as close to God as we
really choose to be. True, there are times when we
would like to know a deeper intimacy, but when it comes to
the point, we are not prepared to pay the price involved. 

- J. Oswald Sanders

Continuing from the previous post about insight, some use the think-out-of-the-box approach to stretching ourselves. I have a hang-up on the thinking-out-of-the-box "fad." My experience is it leads to lack of responsibility and fickleness. Yes, fickleness. LOL. Instead of digging into life, thinking-out-of-the-box allows one to escape the struggle of reality. Oh, and this thinking of mine isn't something new. See my profile and the "In-the-Box-Thinking" blog I started years ago (now DannyLSmith.com).

Thinking-out-of-the-box doesn't cause one to stretch. Thinking-out-of-the-box only adds to the confusion. When I want stretch myself, I stay-in-the-box and dig deeper. God made me in His image. I need to raise my lid, from within...searching for the answer inside...that causes a stretch you can't even imagine.

God tells us we are "made in His image" at least 6 times in the Old and New Testament. Wow. What does that really mean, to be made in His image? What would it have been like with sin? What would it be like live, and see ourselves "in His image?" That takes some digging through a mess of things we've piled into our "box."

How glorious that would be, to discover how glorious He made me. Proverbs 25:2 says "In His glory, God conceals matters. The glory of kings is to search matters out." I think that means from the inside-out, gaining insight and being reconstructed. And to Mr. Sanders point, am I willing to pay the price for the intimacy of the reconstruction?

To that end....

The Fine Art of Insight

Vast knowledge of Bible facts won't make anyone more insightful

- Charles R. Swindoll in Hand Me Another Brick.

My friend Charles Middlebrooks gave me Swindoll's book in 1996. Cathy, Austen, Bear and I were moving back to Austin. We weren't sure about a lot of things, including where to live, job stabililty  and little insight. A travel trailer at the South Austin KOA ended up being our home for 21 months.

Insight increased during this time. 15 years later, a lot of living and I don't have the fine art part down, but it's a clearer picture. Paul Martinelli on the subject of will (God's vs mine), says, "the more time I spend with God, the time I invest with Him, the more I recognize His voice, His will." Yes, absolutely.

The more time I invest with Him....That's getting into the fine art Swindoll's talking about, the reinstruction of the people he labels the last seven chapters of the "Book of Nehemiah." What happens when we invest time with Him? Insight, and we become reconstructed.

Insight.....is it attainable? I believe it is, and in abundance. Having good insight can take time and more than a little extra pause, prayer and pondering will help. Taking time to remove the clutter (another Martinelli lesson) helps me to be more creative (what God wants...us to expand His creation, to dig...and clutter stops that digging like a limestone in the Texas Hill Country).

Reinstruction...how much? As much as it takes. There are some days where I wake up and think.."ug...I didn't go to Heaven. Now I have to do this all over again!" But every so often, and they're happening more and more, I seem to get-it. That restful feeling describe in Hebrews. That's powerful and I know the reconstruction is working from the inside-out....I'm learning to use what's "in-the-box" first.

Swindol ends his insight chapter, The Fine Art of Insight, with

...insightful leadership is attainable..but no one has a corner on the virtue. It is available to all who are willing to pay the price. Insight not lonly gives you good perspective on the past and the ability to face the future with confidence and vision, it will also give you an honest appraisal of yourself...

To that end...have a great Sunday