Power of Self-Efficacy

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:5

When I study this verse, my mind reflects on the term self-efficacy. In psychology, self-efficacy is a belief in one's capacity to act in ways necessary to reach specific goals. Why you do what you do relates to the level of self-efficacy. The more you value your self-efficacy to more probable you will achieve set goals in your life.

When we read about the different patriarchs in the Old Testament, their self-efficacy enabled success in their endeavors. For example, Joshua replaced Moses as the leader of the Israelites and led them across the Jordan River into the Promise Land. Yet, he had to rely on self-efficacy to achieve such a monumental task of defeating the inhabitants. Remember, the Israelites who crossed the Jordan River were the children because their parents had died in the wilderness. Since self-efficacy is the capacity to act in such a way necessary to achieve success, so God directed Joshua with these words of encouragement:

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:9 KJV

Consequently, God wanted Joshua to act in such a way as to ensure his success and the success of Israel. So, Joshua acted upon his faithfulness toward God despite how unpopular it became. Toward the end of his leadership, he challenged his fellow Israelites who had turned to other gods, by stating this very familiar phrase, “…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Such is the blueprint for self-efficacy. We should act upon our faithfulness to serve God instead of pleasing the opinion of others. Even the Son of God acted upon his faithfulness by serving. The Apostle Paul stated that Jesus acted toward His mission by setting aside His privilege of deity and becoming a servant. In other words, God the Son became a man and died the crucial death as a sacrifice for humanity, the ultimate servant. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Sometimes life makes us feel that others should act on our behalf to benefit our needs, so we stop acting on our faith. Especially, when we find ourselves facing a crisis resulting from the mindset of believing that nobody seems to understand how to help. When we find ourselves discouraged, we should exercise self-efficacy through action, knowing that God uses difficult times to elevate us. If we reflect the mindset of Jesus by acting, then the glory of God will become dominant. So, exercise the true power of self-efficacy, and notice the exaltation of God in one’s life.