Day 2473 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV

I'm thankful for convictions. That's become a pretty well-used word around our family over the past few months. I really do believe that the Lord leads us in the right direction if we're only willing to humbly listen and follow where He says go. But unfortunately, that kind of humility takes work and a lifetime of practice. It's one of those things that we can never nail down and be good enough at doing. There's always room to be more humble.

And I know that kind of thing sends many running. Our society runs on this idea that we know what's best. We enjoy the prideful arrogance that comes with thinking that we are the ones in control and can do anything we want to do simply because we want to do it. But in reality, as fun and carefree as that way of living and thinking may be, it requires us to turn off our conscience so that our realization of right and wrong doesn't get in the way of our having fun and living our best life.

Here's the thing, our version of our best life doesn't often line up with God's desires for us. And that's when we have to start making choices. Are we going to listen to what our hearts desire or to what God is leading us toward? Are we willing to lay down our lives, our pride, our dreams, ourselves so that God can take the reins and lead us in the direction He wants to go? Are we going to ignore the truth so that we can keep living a lie? Can we really spend our lives running from the knowledge of right and wrong so we can play this game of pretend freedom?

We’ve spent so long running away from those feelings of shame and regret that we’ve learned to just turn them off. We don’t want to feel bad about the poor choices we’ve made. We don’t want to face the reality that we’re not perfect or that our lives are littered with garbage that has piled up over the years of living in ignorance. We don’t want to have to deal with the pain that comes with change and letting things go. So we settle. We run and hide. We do whatever it takes to avoid the pain that His truth forces us to acknowledge.

What we need to understand is that while we may be inherently willing to compromise in order to avoid the growing pains that come with change, God isn't. He isn't willing to give up His definition of right and wrong so that we can have a little more fun. He isn't willing to let us wander off into the dark so that we can hide what we do in the shadows. He isn't willing to surrender us to the wants and whims of the enemy because His love for us means more than our desire to be selfish or comfortable. And the thing is, we shouldn't want any less.

But we've gotten used to settling and that's where His convictions come in. They won't let us by with anything. They won't allow us to remain blind to the truth. They won't let us compromise because once He has started helping us learn His ways, there's simply no going back. There's no turning around. There's just this knowledge of right and wrong, good and evil, and our calling to choose the right side every time. And while we still get things wrong, His convictions push us to keep trying.

There is sorrow in following God. But it’s a sorrow over our brokenness. It’s a sorrow over how far we’ve fallen. It’s a sorrow over so many years lost to sin and shame that we know we can’t get back to do over again. But His sorrow leads us to betterment. His sorrow inspires us to fight to do things differently so that we no longer have to carry the weight of guilt and regret. So while humbling ourselves and accepting His discipline may hurt a bit, it’s the only thing that truly makes us better.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold