Conviction Courage
…. he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(Hebrews 11:6, NKJV)
There are different reasons why we choose to do the things we do, or to believe what we confess. Many say that our innate nature and our nurturing have a lot of influence on our preferences and the decisions we tend to make. There are times however, when one is not fully able to explain the reason for the decision. It is also said that one’s gut is the second mind, the gut communicates how we feel and gently nudges us on what we need to choose. This could be the answer to the deep knowing in our knower, for which we have no words to explain. It is true that some people are better at following their hearts, others follow what everyone else is doing. The fear of being misjudged by others has led many to take paths that they regret. Many of us were socialized to conform to how things have always been done, negating the place for individual choice. While this could be seen as encouraging a form of harmony, it leaves the individual feeling confused and dis-empowered, and it takes away a sense of accountability for the results.
While we might not have clear choices all the time, our reference verse wakes us up to our responsibility when we decide to follow Jesus the Saviour. Jesus in speaking this verse, gave a fundamental criteria on which our relationship with God is founded. When we reach out to God, our faith MUST be on His character alone, all other things flow from His character and our belief in Him as He is. This invites a conviction deep within of His unchanging nature. It is the revelation of who He is and the surety of His promises to us that forms the basis of our drawing near to Him. The bible reminds us that we cannot be double-minded when we approach God (James 1:7-8). Beloved, our lives must be controlled only by the will of God and nothing else. Jesus said that anyone who follows Him and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). There is no room for compromise on our faith, it is either we follow God or not. We must be fully sold out. Jesus used stronger words when He said that if anyone is to follow Him, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily (Luke 9:23 and Matthew 16:24). This is the expectation clearly laid out for us by our never changing God.
Brethren, I would not for a moment imagine that following Jesus is always convenient, no wonder it is call to deny ourselves. The culture we live in expects forms of compromise and there are various invitations to conform and belong to groups of people that we might admire. However, our allegiance to God must remain paramount, our faith in Him must remain our guiding light. May our knowledge of whom and what we believe in, help us to garner courage to live according to the leading of the Holy Spirit even when it seems different from what others expect. Keep holding strong in faith.
Thoughts:
What motivates your decisions as a believer?
Are there areas where you need to act from inner conviction?
How will you strengthen yourself to live fully by your faith?