Sagacity: What is it and why is it so important?

By Amy Stanley, Wil Addison and Meeke Addison

We live at a time in history where information is literally at our fingertips and social media gives us instant access to anyone and anything. How do we sort out the facts? How can we recognize truth and respond appropriately to those around us? “Sagacity” is a quirky little old-fashioned word that is packed with meaning. It’s like a giant gumball that seems to get bigger the longer you chew on it.
In this book, the author breaks down the word into five definitions:
• Quickness of Perception
• Soundness in Judgement
• Foresight into a Situation
• Operating in Astuteness and Sharpness
• Having Insight, Wisdom, Profoundness, Thoughtfulness, and Discernment
Along with each definition, Stanley gives practical insight and strategies to become sagacious. Each chapter ends by highlighting two historical figures-one from the Bible and one from another point in history-who embody each particular aspect of sagacity. The reader will be encouraged and inspired by sagacious individuals such as the prophet Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Corrie ten Boom and Sacagawea.
Growing sagacity is vital to unscrambling the vast array of messages and sound bites we are bombarded with each day. The reader will gain insight and be challenged to cultivate a sagacious life that treats others with grace and glorifies God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798385005116

Amy Stanley

Amy Stanley is an associate professor of history at Northwestern University. She lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband and two children, but Tokyo will always be her favorite city in the world.

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Copyright © 2023 Amy Stanley.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0510-9 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0511-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023915033

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/11/2023

CONTENTS

Forward

Introduction

Chapter 1Quickness of Perception

Chapter 2Soundness in Judgement

Chapter 3Foresight into a Situation

Chapter 4Operating in Astuteness and Sharpness

Chapter 5Having Insight, Wisdom, Profoundness, Thoughtfulness and Discernment of what is going on around oneself and others

Chapter 6Conclusions

Acknowledgements

Discussion Questions

To the Truth Seekers:

Speak truth, love well,

and be sagacious.

SAGACITY

[suh-gas-i-tee]

FORWARD

The room was filled with eager ministry workers. In the Spring of 2017, we’d all gathered at the Cove in Ashville, North Carolina to be mutually encouraged and equipped to continue in our efforts. Over several days of prayer, fellowship, worship and teaching sessions, the Lord had refreshed us. On one of the final days of the retreat, we had only a few more sessions remaining. This afternoon session had a different feel. The presenter was different. As he made his way to the podium, there was a collective reverence both for his years of life and ministry service. There was silence as he began, We need more sagacity among Believers. The silence grew as he continued, I’ll bet some of you don’t even know what sagacity is. He was right. Many of us laughed nervously, revealing the fact that we were included in that number. Wil and I shared an extra laugh as I discreetly wrote the word down. We determined we’d look it up later. We wouldn’t have to wait too long to learn the meaning of sagacity as our presenter gave us a crash course. The presenter was the then, 86-year-old faithful minister of the Gospel, Richard Owen Roberts. Today, brother Roberts is 92 years old! The Lord is still writing the story of brother Robert’s service to Him. I’m grateful that six years ago Wil and I had the opportunity to meet him and learn from him. The word sagacity never left Wil’s thoughts.

As a kid, I (Wil) grew up in church. My parents made sure that we grew up in an environment where relationship with Jesus was a priority. In my youth and throughout my adult life, I’ve heard lessons on wisdom. I remember at a young age praying that God would make me a wise man. I can recall praying for wisdom on one occasion after having learned about the wisdom of King Solomon. Aware that God had made Solomon the wisest man on earth, and that there was none wiser before him or after, I asked God to make me the second wisest. I’ve had a deep longing for wisdom for decades. After years of praying that God would give me wisdom, the word sagacity resonated with me…deeply. I still pray for wisdom. Today, sagacity has made its way into my petitions to the Lord as well.

Sagacity is a word that does not appear in our modern dictionaries but it’s akin to words like prudence, wisdom, and shrewdness. Get ready for Amy to unpack its meaning in the pages of this book. As times change and culture shifts, having acute discernment and keen sense is invaluable. Amy has done a stellar job identifying sagacity in Scripture and modernity. She has captured the essence of the word and represented it to us in a relevant and relatable fashion. You’ll enjoy both the devotion and historicity of what she’s done here. May our Lord be glorified.

There is so much happening in our culture today. You don’t have to search far or wide to see the effects of the lack of sagacity on our society. From nearly every house to the White House, there is a famine of wisdom. There is certainly a famine of the caliber of wisdom that might be defined as sagacious. Because we know that the Lord grants wisdom to those who ask of Him, let us ask in faith. May we pour out our heart to the Lord in an expressed desire to think and act in ways that glorify His Name.

Wil and Meeke Addison

Co-Hosts of Culture Proof Podcast

Straightedge Ministries

INTRODUCTION

We live in a time where truth is unclear and confusing. All kinds of messages are telling us that truth is relative and can be molded to fit each person’s perspective. Live your truth is the mantra all around us. People say things like, Well that may be true for you, but it isn’t true for me, or You can’t know what is true for me. But if we’re honest, we know that truth is fixed and solid. In fact, I would argue that we need truth to be solid. When I am driving, I want the red, yellow, and green colors of the stoplight to be true for everyone. I don’t want relative truth at that moment. I want to know that we all believe the same thing about a red light and that we all see it the same. The sun rises every morning; that is true. It is steady and dependable. Truth, real truth, is dependable. I may not like it, but I can depend on it.

So, in this moment in our culture, how can we know, really know, what is true? How can we discern between statements and beliefs that are true and ones that just sound good? For thousands of years Christians have found truth in the Bible. But, among followers of Christ, even we have differences of opinion on what the Bible is saying. And sometimes, sadly, we just reject what we know to be true because we want to hear pleasant words that make us feel good. Isaiah 30:10 says about the Israelites of that time, They say to the seers, ‘See no more visions!’ and to the prophets, ‘Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophecy illusions. We find the words of the Bible to be harsh or hard to swallow, so we reject it outright or pull out and emphasize the scriptures we like. But even as we do this, we know deep down in our hearts that it doesn’t seem right. We can see that the culture of Live your truth isn’t working. It is leading us down a path that seems more and more ridiculous every day. It’s like Winston Smith in George Orwell’s novel, 1984. He knows that 2+2=4, but the constant pressure to conform and say that it is 5 is overwhelming. Winston resists and insists upon the truth, but eventually agrees to say that it is 5, even though it’s completely absurd, and he knows that it is wrong.

Sometimes the truth is obvious, like 2+2=4. But sometimes it isn’t. Does loving your neighbor mean accepting their truth? Are the lyrics of the songs I sing in church true? How