CONVICITON

The word conviction can have a pretty scary connotation for many of us who have walked for any length of time in our addictions. If we're recovering from drugs or alcohol abuse, we may have serious offenses in our records to deal with in recovery. I know a compulsive over-eater who stole food and was dismissed from a job for doing so. Convictions are not necessarily in the courts and ending in jail sentences. Sometimes the sentence turns a person's whole life in a different direction. My friend lost a license to practice medicine.

The meditation from the online Christian recovery loop I read this morning was, “The beginning of my recovery was the concept of God being on my side – that I wasn’t left with only my own resources in this world.” Along with that was this question:

How does it make you feel to know that God is on your side? How does it affect the way you live your life?

Then I read this Scripture which I received from K-LOVE radio:

May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God. ~ Philippians 1:11

And of course, what jumped out at me was, "the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ..." That's where I got stuck in a groove like a scratched old record. It keeps playing over and over in my head. Why? Because I struggle daily with that old self, that sin nature, that whiny, bratty, irritable old nag who snaps at those she loves most because she hasn't got enough self-discipline to concentrate on what " willl bring much glory and praise to God."

If I weren't convicted by the Holy Spirit, I would just go on about my business like the rest of the world, being a whiny, bratty, irritable old nag snapping at everyone because I wouldn't give a hoot about discipline - like it or lump it. That's exactly how I used to be. I simply didn't care what anyone thought of me or how I reacted to things.

There was a transformation that took place the day I committed my heart to Jesus Christ. It was immediate and profound. My soul began to thirst for righteousness. When I fail to live up to God's standards, you can bet the Holy Spirit is there to lovingly remind me. God is on my side. The old me still tries to run the show, but praise God, He is patient, loving and merciful. When He convicts me, I am not sent to prison. By the blood of Jesus I am free. No, God speaks to my heart like a loving parent, He disciplines me with a verbal spanking, turns me in the right direction again, and sends me on my way. While the Holy Spirit convicts me of my shortcomings, He also convicts me of His love and forgiveness! God is on my side.

Radio evangelist Pastor David Jeremiah of Shadow Mountain Church once said, "if Satan reminds you of where you've been, remind him where he's going."

In other words, Satan is a liar and I don't need to listen to him.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ~ 2 Cor 5:17-18.

While I still stumble and fall down, I am not the woman I used to be. Satan has no power to convict me and the One who convicts me has all power to move me toward righteousness.

Be convicted of this: Progress, not Perfection! It is after all, a lifelong journey. Be convicted. Be willing to see your shortcomings. But by all means, seek righteousness, for the glory of God.
God is on our side.

O most gracious and loving God of heaven and earth, we are humbled in Your presence. You have all the power to convict us and send us to everlasting prison. But in Your loving kindness, You chose instead to wear our skin, to bear our burdens, to walk in shame, be broken, bruised and lashed, and die the death we deserved, to wipe away our sins. All this to show us Your unfailing love and mercy. O Father, how can we thank You? All You've asked is, "follow me." Yes, Lord, yes! Here I am, send me! We praise You and thank You that You are God almighty. We confess our inability to be righteous on our own. We confess our temptations, our stumbles, our daily failures to be Your righteousness. Forgive us Lord, and cleanse us. Purified and freed by the blood of Christ, we humbly seek Your guidance and strength this day, moment by moment, so that we might bear fruit to glorify You. Would the way we live today, reflect the transformation of Jesus in our lives. With You on our side, who can come against us? (Romans 8:31) Would it effect the way we live for Your glory, because You are on our side.