A Good Sting Is A Good Thing
Oh how easily I attempt to avoid the “sting” of conviction for my own complacency and comfort. I think in our world of constant distraction, it’s easy for all of us to ignore or grow numb to the gentle conviction of the Holy Spirit. We grow complacent. When we are complacent, we don’t welcome conviction.
Complacency results in a lack of desire to change, or the belief that one doesn’t need to change. Conviction disrupts our complacency. I’ve learned that we as humans do not love to be disrupted or interrupted, especially by conviction.
We get comfortable in our sin, so when conviction hits, we turn the other way and pretend we didn’t feel it… or at least I do at times. To be honest, over the last year, I have grown so distracted that I wasn’t necessarily “pretending” that I didn’t feel conviction, I was actually too overwhelmed by my distractions that I didn’t think I had the capacity to dig deeper when conviction hit. I knew the conviction would require me to sit and reflect, but my distractions told me I didn’t have time to do that, so I continued on, and “ignored” the conviction of the Holy Spirit telling me to slow down, reset, and release control.
The sting of conviction often hurts so much we don’t want to acknowledge the root of what’s going on deeper…the fear of having to change, the fear of giving up control, the fear of turning from a life that has grown to be incredibly comfortable, the list goes on.
I’m sure we have all found ourselves here at some point in our lives…maybe you are in this place right now. If this sounds familiar to you, I want to send some encouragement today.
A GOOD STING IS A GOOD THING.
Let me say that again. A GOOD STING IS A GOOD THING.
Conviction may sting, yes. It may be uncomfortable and not feel so great, but it is a GOOD thing because it is from the Holy Spirit. When we are convicted, it means that God is reaching His hand out and wanting to refine us. He is bringing attention to our sin or ways in which we have turned to things other than Him for fulfillment, so that we can turn from that and turn toward Him. This is called sanctification, meaning “set apart to be made holy and purified.”
I think sometimes we confuse the two words conviction and condemnation.
Conviction is from the Holy Spirit.
Condemnation is from Satan.
Conviction leads us to repentance. Condemnation overwhelms us with guilt and shame.
The good news is that in Christ there is NO condemnation. Satan has no say in our sanctification process because Christ has made us new, calling us holy and setting us free from the enslavement of sin and death.
Romans 8:1→ “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death…”
It never “feels” good when I am convicted and have to acknowledge the complacency I have fallen into because of the entanglement of my sin. But, conviction always leads me to the feet of Jesus where I humble myself and acknowledge my need for Him. But, it requires that I slow down and really sit in what the conviction is revealing that is going on deeper within me. There is always a root of our sin, of our complacency, and of our need to be distracted. And when the root is discovered, that is where the joy and beauty of refinement is really experienced.
May we not be women who run from conviction, but rather embrace it and thank God for the grace and mercy He pours out on us, so that we are not overcome by guilt and shame. May our distractions cease when conviction comes, so that we can rest in the kindness and mercy of our Father, knowing that He is refining us and making us more like Him as we allow the Holy Spirit to dig up the ways in which the world has distracted and numbed us.
Gosh, conviction is never fun, but it is always beautiful because it’s a picture of the kindness of God offering us the chance to be sanctified and renewed each day. LOVE YOU GUYS!
xo, Blair
