The Power of Conviction

Good morning! As I write this I am aboard an Amtrak train traveling back from my anniversary trip to Washington, D.C.. I have enjoyed the time away with Carol and it is fun to reflect on these first 17 years of our married life. Of course, time away brings a desk full of mail and a couple of days worth of returning phone calls and answering email. Refreshment does come with a price, doesn’t it?

At this time of year people are eagerly undertaking the resolutions of a new year. You know the list...”This year I am going to _________________________ (lose weight, get out of debt, exercise, take a trip, etc...). So why don’t people follow through with these things? I would like to suggest you the issue comes down to two simple words: “Conviction” and “Commitment.”

Conviction comes from within. It is more than ideals, but instead is a set of values and principles that remain constant even in changing circumstances. You might call this your internal compass or gyroscope, your convictions keep you pointed to your true bearings. Let me give you an example of how your convictions come into play. Saying that I need to lose weight, because I’ll look better and feel better about myself is an idealistic train of thought. However if I say that my body is the “temple of the Holy Spirit”, I have just identified a core conviction. So now when I talk about losing weight I am drawing upon my core conviction and not my preferred ideal. Because I recognize my body is a temple, I want to maintain that temple in a manner that brings honor and glory to God. From this will come the external things such as better health, improved appearance, etc..., but the key underlying motivation is to honor God.

The second key ties into the first one. We are more committed to those things that we hold core convictions about. For example, I would not risk bodily harm for the sake of standing up for my favorite football team (although some might say that I do), but I would without hesitation risk my life to stand up for my wife and children. The difference in my level of commitment is the depth of my conviction. Commitment however operates on two levels, my personal commitment and then my commitment to God’s will and direction for my life. Consider the following passage of scripture:

Proverbs 16:3 (NLT)

Commit your work to the Lord, and then your plans will succeed.

All too often we fail to commit our way to the Lord first. We try to undertake goals, objectives and dreams, but fail to ask for God’s sustaining hand in our efforts. Many of the things we are trying to change in our lives are huge mountains. I have been trying to lose weight all of my adult life and it is a real challenge trying to get and stay healthy. If it were not for God’s strength and life changing power I would fail everyday. I have to trust God to strengthen me when I am weak. I have to rely upon his encouragement when I don’t want to continue. I have to let Him impress His perfect convictions upon my imperfect heart.

If you haven’t done so yet this year, write down your top 2 or 3 goals and/or priorities for 2006. Spend a few moments in prayer seeking God’s guidance and direction for those items. Surrender yourself to his strength and empowerment and give Him permission to redirect the passions and convictions of your heart.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl