If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, “God hasn’t convicted me on that,” or “those are your convictions not mine”, I’d probably have enough money to never work another day in my life. I have always been puzzled by this sentiment from believers as many also proclaim to serve one God whose kingdom is unified and who promote being with one accord. How can we as a body be together and have so many differing schools of thought on pivotal places in our walk with Christ?
Recently I shared my understanding on a biblical topic in an open women’s forum that was met with the response of “God hasn’t convicted me of that”. It troubled me because what I shared was very well thought out, scripture based (I am VERY intentional about not just sharing my opinion on biblical topics) and encouraged the person who posted the question to seek God and study. The other women that chimed in on the topic seemed to have missed everything I said and only heard what perhaps to them, was something they were not comfortable with and proceeded to dismiss it with, “well, God hasn’t convicted me of that so I don’t worry about it.” This response made me think of the many times I’ve said this simply because I was comfortable with what I knew and was not interested in changing it regardless of the truth of God’s Word. Ouch. That hurt to admit but I find it necessary as it brought me to my next thought of if God was trying to teach me something or convict me of something, would I even be able to receive it?
Conviction (noun): the act of convincing a person of error or of compelling the admission of a truth; the state of being convinced of error or compelled to admit the truth
For a long time conviction has gotten a bad reputation. When most people hear the word conviction they are encompassed by the feelings of guilt, shame and even embarrassment. I believe that this understanding of conviction is yet another trick of the enemy to shame us out of a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. How much more happy and whole we would be if we embraced the warnings and correction that conviction brings? How many heart breaking situations would we have avoided if we leaned into those feelings of conviction? How much better off would we be if we simply gave something a second thought and a little pondering after meeting conviction, even if we did not completely take heed.
As believers resisting conviction reveals a heart that is unsubmitted to God. There is NO WAY we can be completely submitted to God, have Him as Lord of our lives and never feel conviction on anything. One of my favorite quotes is, “I am not always right, I am always learning.” This is easier said than done but remembering this simple quote keeps me in a place of humility, capable of being convicted where necessary. Please don’t get me wrong, I am no expert on the subject, this is something that I am working at every day but because of my awareness to this I have been able to see the same resistance I’ve had in others. In an effort to help my brothers and sisters in Christ on this never ending journey of learning I’ve pulled together three ways to get (and stay) in position for conviction.
- Develop a dependency on prayer and fasting. Notice I didn’t just say pray and fast. Prayer and fasting was never intended to be special occasion activities. They are spiritual tools in our arsenal of weapons from God. By prioritizing prayer and regular fasting you will then grow a sensitivity to God and the things of God allowing Him the space and opportunity to correct you where necessary.
- Get some accountability. We were not created to live alone. One major reason I believe God created us to commune with one another is for the accountability that comes in community. Accountability keeps us honest in our proclamations and declarations. As a result we are forced to take an honest look at ourselves allowing conviction to reveal to us the truth of our actions.
- Get to work. There is no greater teacher than experience. How else would we know if we’ve truly learned something if we never apply it to real life? This once again reveals to us the truth of our belief and corresponding actions. After we have learned, prayed, fasted and gotten some level of accountability, applying our faith as we witness and work in ministry gives way to making mistakes, because let’s be honest we don’t always get things right. As we are presented with areas of opportunity (problems or conflict) we are convicted and afforded the opportunity to get it right next time.
This walk with Christ is by far not an easy one. It is a relationship and similar to the relationships with our loved ones it requires time, patience and practice to get them right. So the next time you feel challenged with something in your faith take a minute to discern if it’s a threat to your comfortability or God’s gentle nudge of conviction, leading and guiding you into all truth.
What are your thoughts on conviction? Does it bring up feelings of shame or gratitude?
Love, Jenise La Vonne
