Tuesday

Convictions Determine Conduct

Dictionaries usually define conviction as a fixed or strong belief. Conviction is really much more than that. Your convictions include your values, commitments, and motivations.

I like the definition of conviction I once heard from the great Bible teacher Howard Hendricks: "A belief is something you will argue about. A conviction is something you will die for!"

Our convictions determine our conduct. They motivate us to act in certain ways.

When you first become a Christian you often do things simply because other Christians around you suggest them or model them. You may pray, read the Bible and attend services because you see the examples of others.

This is fine for a new Christian. Little children learn the same way. However, as you grow, you must eventually develop your own reasons for doing what you do. Those reasons become convictions.

Biblical convictions are essential for spiritual growth and maturity. What is ironic today is that people often have strong convictions about weak issues (football, fashions, etc.) while having weak convictions about major issues (what is right and what is wrong).

Think about your walk with Jesus and make a list of the convictions you now hold. Are your convictions weak on any major issues?

I always try to do the bare minimum. If anyone read my devo from yesterday you will see what I mean. I wrote two tiny, insincere sentences and called it a day. I have been praying more often but for some reason I've been slacking off in all other areas of my life. No studying, no hw, no working out, no working on gifts for other people. I'm extremely lethargic and bedridden. I'm getting really sick which may have something to do with it but I think its mainly that in not living in a very healthy way right now. Spiritually and physically. I work out but then for the rest of the day I lie stationary in my bed, eating food and watching netflix. I pray right before I go to sleep but by then I'm half unconscious and I have fallen asleep in the middle of my prayer multiple times. I dont read the bible- I dont even know where mine is right now and I dont take notes on Sundays which I told myself to start doing. Its no longer okay for me to slack off like this when I know how I should live for God.

I have to admit, when it comes to doing things for the Christ, I at times do only the least of it. But God wants us to do as much as we can, and to be convicted to it. If we just show the minimum work to the Christ, how can it prove that we are convicted to him? People say that conviction is just a solid belief. But it is more than that. It shows how connected we are to God by the amount of work we do and the effort put into it. So, in order to prove to God that we are truly convicted to him, we must do his work as much as we can and having the heart to do it. Then, God will notice how much we love him.

Because of social media, we have a passion towards things like the trends and news going on.
So then why am I so weak in my beliefs for God?
I always get upset at myself whenever I think about this. People say that is not easy to always be on fire for him. But then how come we are able to do that when we have a big interest in something rlse(movies, clothes, etc.)
Have that same interest in God and what you still have to lear from him.

Sorry this devo is short and not too detailed. I had trouble with this one.

I think my walk with Jesus led me far from a path that I would have been on if I didn't know God.
I wasn't passionate about him; I felt embarrassed to sing during praise time, the only times I prayed were before mealtimes only, and they were only half sincere. I really like how this devo clearly pointed out what my activities were like long ago; I simply followed along with other model Christians, because that was the only way I learned about God as a child.

Now, I have convictions, and still am developing these convictions:
To pray for others, myself, in thankfulness, my future, choices, etc.
To worship because I have a passion in singing for Christ (although I screech rather unattractively  )
To love because God himself loved us.
However, I feel that these convictions are on a considerably weaker level than my moral material convictions.