Convicted

One question many, if not all, employers ask on applications or during the interview process is "Have you ever been convicted of a crime other than traffic violations?" We hear of (in)famous people being tried and/or convicted of serious crimes on a regular basis. We may have sat on a jury that convicted someone, or personally know of a person(s) who has been convicted. What does "convicted" mean? In the realm of jurisprudence, it means being found guilty of wrongdoing. However, for the Christian, the meaning takes a slightly different slant. For us, it means that God is revealing to us those areas in which we fall short of His perfect standard. He is declaring us "guilty" of sin. But, we have a hope and can rest assured on His promise: Jesus Christ came to save us from a sentence of eternal death. Jesus alone can declare us "NOT guilty" by His sacrifice on the cross. Jesus alone offers us an eternal life sentence: Life everlasting with Him--if we but believe in Him.


As I attend the Summit revival services, I have realized (after only two days) of my deep need for Him as my Savior and Lord. He has begun to reveal those places in my life where I am falling short--and they are many, it seems. One of the handouts asks us to circle answers to questions about our spiritual lives. I didn't even fill it out because I realized just how far I've strayed from Him. He's revealed the root cause of these things, and I don't like it. The root cause of the frustration, anxiety, discouragement, and even despair in my life is this: my unwillingness to surrender ALL that I am and all that I have to Him. Some things go back years; I've laid blame on these things on other people or made excuses.

It's not an easy thing to be convicted, but if we know Christ, it is a freeing thing. Once we feel the weight of conviction, we have two options. We can either acknowledge the conviction and fall on our knees in repentence and accept the grace that God freely offers OR we can ignore it and go on as usual, blaming others and feeling alone and afraid. I have chosen to repent and accept grace. I know there is a long road ahead. Some of the consequences of my sins will be with me for a long time. But, I also am accepting the grace to move on and turn away from that old life. Paul tells us that we are new creations in Christ, that the old is gone and the new has come.

I'll take a moment to be honest about a couple of things. First, I don't think all my shortcomings have been revealed all at once. And second, I'm scared. I don't like giving up control (agh, another place I fall short!). I like to know what is going to happen, when, how, and what steps I need to take to get there. When we walk with Christ, however, we oftentimes get the next step and that is it. So, my next step is the first step. Will you join me?