Day 14

Day 14:  Shame vs Conviction

       Even as believing Christians that try to live every day to glorify and honor God, we sin.  We make mistakes. 

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 2:23

       We will sin.  The question is how will we react to that sin?  There are two directions, shame or conviction.  They can be confused very easily and can separate us from God when He is trying to teach us through our actions. 

       Shame is defined as a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety; a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute; something to be regretted.  This is an emotion that is based on our feelings, our regret of doing something that makes us feel worthless, a feeling of being unworthy of the love of God, an embarrassment of the action that doesn’t glorify God.  The reaction of shame is directed at you.  Many Christians begin to avoid God or push away from Him because of their guilt and feeling of unworthiness.  It starts with a feeling of not being worthy that keeps us from pursuing God and continues to not pursuing Him at all.  This is the act of the enemy to keep you as far away from God as possible so that He cannot do Immeasurably More in and through you.

       So how do we react to sin in a Godly way?  We recognize we have sinned.  We allow our heart to be broken by the things that break God’s, our sin; we know that we have hurt God.  In turn when you have compassion for the way God feels about your sin you become convicted.  Conviction is defined as the state of being convinced of error or compelled to admit the truth; a strong persuasion or belief.  Dismissing your pride and taking on the understanding of God’s pain you become convinced of your errors. Your hearts are softened to be able to feel the moving of the Holy Spirit and His persuasion to come to Him.  It is God saying ‘Come to me. You are forgiven.’ 

“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”

 Isaiah 30:18

       Conviction shows you the answer instead of shame showing you the problem.  Conviction is all about the power of Christ, shame is all about you.

       When we are convicted of our sin, ask for forgiveness and keep our eyes on Jesus we allow room within us for the Immeasurably More that can work in and through us according to the power that is at work in us!!!

       Do you have trouble seeing the difference between Shame and Conviction?  Can you find times when you need to take your eyes off of yourself and turn them toward Jesus?