New Generation 3

SHARING BY NEEKEE

Yesterday’s sermon ended with the words “Conviction or Convenience”.Interestingly enough, the very words “conviction vs convenience” has been haunting me on and off for the past 2 weeks. Those past 2 weeks, every decision I made, I started to ask myself - Convenience or Conviction?

“Oh, I’m too tired to head on down to prayer meeting today. It’ll be better if I were to rest tonight and prepare for a long working day tomorrow.” Hmm... Convenience?

“I don’t feel like reading the bible today. I haven’t been getting much lately. Maybe I’ll try again later today when I have time.” Hmmm.... Convenience as well?

“I’ve been busy this week and don’t have much time to meet up with people I’m suppose to catch up with. I’ll cancel now and meet them another week.” Sigh... Convenience?

“Life group/church has been quite ordinary lately and I do have other things I need to finish up here. I suppose I’ll give it a miss this week.” Again... Convenience?

A lot of occasions, I seem to make choices or decisions that needs little persuading. And the reasons I give myself, that seems so harmless starts to take a foothold in my life and “spiritual weeds” start to grow. The thing with “spiritual weeds”, it start taking roots everywhere and it is really hard to get it under control. Before I know it, it has grown into every aspect of my life and I’ve become restless, tire easily, lack a sense of purpose and generally unhappy with life, possibly ministry, work life and even family life. And it all started with making “convenient” decisions.

They are conveniences because it stems from a selfish desire – I am looking out for no. 1 (myself). Make no mistake, I think self care is important and should be an integral part of a healthy Christian. But the issue is when I go past the line of “self care” and it becomes “self indulgent”.

After all that, I now realise that convictions are not based on how I’m feeling at the moment. I now know that convictions should be based upon God’s word and it is knowing and believing in something so strongly that I choose to do it regardless of my physical and especially emotional state. It is saying that “I can’t see any way out of this situation – yet I choose to honor God even when it is really hard to do so.” Conviction is when I say “God I don’t feel like worshipping you just now, please help me to throw myself into your embrace and let me encounter you. I don’t feel or have any reason to praise you yet will I praise Thee. Help me to experience the Joy of the Lord that shall be my strength.”

So I now realise that without convictions, I will find it hard in my walk with Him. I now realise that without convictions, I will always make lousy decisions and take the easy way out. Without the gospel, I will fail to experience what’s mentioned in Thess 1:4 (our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction).

So I need to learn to make up my mind - Who do I serve?These 2 weeks, I’ve learnt to remind myself through the chorus from the song “My Hope” which says that “My hope is found in You. Everything I need is at your feet. My life I lay it down an offering, I’m living for the glory of your name.” What will you choose today? Convenience? Or Conviction?

Blessed be His Name,

Neekee