John 16:8 (NKJV)
“And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
Have you been challenged lately? Have you had The Holy Spirit convict you of something, and you know in your gut that it is time for a decision regarding that area of your life? Am I the only one this happens to?!? It could be something huge or something very very small. In either instance, it is The Holy Spirit telling us that we are missing the mark… we are falling short in that area of our lives. He is showing a more righteous standard that we need to live by. In the end, we know that ignoring that prompting would lead to disobedience.
If we are believers, we have already been convicted of sin, and repented to follow Christ. Have you noticed, though, that conviction doesn’t stop there? To be an active, growing believer in Christ we have to maintain our “spidey senses”. We have to actively listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying in our lives. As we listen and obey, we move toward holiness and maturity.
Sometimes it is an easy… “OH! Wow! Lord, I am so sorry!” …Sometimes it is much more difficult. It is more like “do I REALLY need to change that? Do I REALLY need to take a stand there?” This is where the rubber meets the road in our lives. Are we going to really follow Christ in ALL areas, or are we going to play like everything is okay even though we don’t turn that area over to Him.
The Holy Spirit may convict me in areas where He has not convicted you. We don’t all receive the same promptings, but I do believe that we are all moving toward growth and holiness. In that sense, as we move closer to the mark, we are in harmony. We are gracious to those who may be in a different place. I may have had The Lord speak to me about how many sweets I’m consuming, whether it’s okay to have an alcoholic drink, the television program I watch, how and where I spend my money. He may have prompted you in totally different areas. But if we belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit has free rein to point out where we need to do better — right? Hopefully we are all moving toward that mark.
This week I want to encourage you to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Do not miss the opportunity for growth and holiness. It may seem to be a sacrifice on your part… but in light of eternity, it is no sacrifice to follow our Lord. Even if we lose something we think we want in this life… being obedient to the things He convicts us of will bring new life to us. That is the life Christ died to give us. Let’s be obedient to all His promptings as we get closer and closer to the only mark that matters.