Feeling the Sting of Conviction

Not that long ago, I wrote an article that caused some strong responses from people.

It had been awhile, since that has happened to me.

At first, I thought, maybe I was wrong in the thoughts I had expressed. But after further contemplation, I realized it wasn’t that I thought I was wrong in my feelings, but rather, I thought maybe I was rash in expressing them.  

They were, after all, going to be controversial.

It’s so easy to stay in the “safe” zone.

It would have been so easy for me to not express what I was feeling.  Even in doing so, I had tried not to point my finger at anyone, or make anyone feel like I thought I was better than them.  Let’s get that straight right now. I’m not.

But sometimes, I feel very propelled to write on something that God has spoken to my spirit. And I need to have the strength of conviction, to do so, with love, and truth.

Whenever I say something, I realize that everyone has the right to feel or think what they want to. It’s your freedom. It’s mine. But I don’t want to shy away from topics out of fear. I don’t want to be afraid to speak truth. And in this social climate, it’s easier and easier to feel that way.

If God uses something I say to convict someone’s heart - that is a good thing.  But it is not ME doing the convicting. I am merely a messenger.  And in being a messenger, I realize that we all have different battles. What you feel convicted about, I may not struggle with. I may have an entirely different struggle altogether. But we all struggle with something.

Feeling convicted is a good thing. A good thing, indeed. And I fear we have encroached upon a time in life where no one really feels convicted anymore. 

They merely feel offended.

We can never change, without feeling convicted about something in our hearts, or in our life. We can’t become better, wiser, or understand someone else’s perspective, without some sort of conviction humbling our hearts.

Writing a piece that caused some strong words to spill from people, was a good thing for me. It showed me how comfortable I felt staying “safe.” Staying out of controversy. And far from wanting to jump into controversy all of the time, it strengthened my legs, to remind me WHO I write for.  

And why.

I am not right about everything. I have to rethink a lot of things along this journey in life. I change my mind. I consider. I ponder. I ask God for direction.  But one thing I do do, is offer honesty in love.

And if I share something, you can bet it’s from a heart that means well. That wants to make a positive impact on someone’s life.

I will humbly, continue to write about the things that I feel God stirs in my spirit. And I pray, that as you, the reader, read them - that He will in turn, use them for some sort of good in your life. Even if that good, starts with the sting of conviction.