Convictions

Convictions- I believe the more time we spend with God in HIS word, in prayer contemplating over what we're reading, praying for wisdom and understanding the more we are convicted by God. The MORE we seek HIM the closer we draw to HIM and the more HE opens our eyes and ears to see and hear.

We are all in different places in our convictions and there is nothing wrong with that as long as YOU are making it a priority to intentionally seek HIM on a daily basis. The more you seek God the more you find yourself growing in your faith, growing in HIM and you find yourself maturing, changing and finding yourself on a road that has veered off from your family and friends. It can be a lonely road with not many walking with you if any at all. 

Music you once listened to you now find inappropriate, jokes you once laughed at now seem distasteful, movies you once watched no longer hold there appeal. Growth is happening.

When we are growing in and with the Lord we are not the same version of us as we were five years ago, nor last year, or even last month. If your the same person with no spiritual growth or haven't felt convicted over things in your life then you need to be asking yourself why. 

Are you leaning on your own understanding of things? Are you leaning on someone else's understanding of things? 

Proverbs 3:5-6 

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

It's easy to think we know, we understand and forget that we shouldn't be leaning on our own understanding of things. We shouldn't be leaning on someone else's understanding of things of God either.

Sometimes we lean on what's being taught to us or what's being preached and forget to take what's being said to the Lord and asking for HIS understanding and wisdom of HIS word. We forget to go back to our Bible to verify, to meditate and pray for HIS understanding of HIS word. It's God alone that will open your eyes and ears to HIS truth and you'll know it when HE does. You'll have that AH-HA moment!

Sin separates us from God. The closer we draw to the world, the more we partake of this world the further we get from the Lord. We cannot serve God and still be partakers of this world. 

1 John 2:15 - "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. "

Romans 12:2 -"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

1 John 2:17-"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

If you're not growing in your faith, in your personal relationship with the Lord then you have to stop and ask yourself why? If God is not revealing/ opening your eyes to something new quite often then you need to stop and ask yourself why.  If you're in your Bible daily, reading, studying, meditating and praying over it then you'll feel convicted over things in your own life, God will start opening your eyes to see and understanding will come. The Bible is The Living Word of God because no matter how many times you read it you're always learning something new. You're growing when God opens your eyes to a verse, a passage, a chapter you've read a thousand times over and one day you read it again and your like, "WHAT! Wait a minute, let me re-read that. WOW!! How did I not see that before!" It's truly the most humbling and most exciting moment when it happens that makes you want to know more, to read on and delve further. When did you last have that moment? If you haven't had one of those moments recently, in the past week, the past month or even a few months ago then you need to ask yourself why. When was the last time you felt convicted over something in your life? Why are you not feeling convicted? 

If your drawing closer to God then God is drawing closer to you and you should be feeling convicted and having those Ah- Ha moments quite a bit. 

If you're not...why? 

Prayerfully Your Sister In Christ,

Erica