“Then
those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one,
beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the
woman standing in the midst.”—John 8:9
Our Scripture reference today demonstrates the power of our convictions. Convictions
are beliefs or opinions that we hold firmly too. A person is said to hold a conviction because he or she has become
convinced, by either evidence or argument, that his or her beliefs are true. Have
you noticed that a lot of people choose to live by their preference rather than
their conviction? Their belief is based on certain conditions
and circumstances and when the situation changes, so does their loyalty.
In other words, a lot of people waver on
issues that require a firm resolve.
Contrast this vacillating approach with the mindset of the
great men and women of Scripture. Contrary to many years of unfair treatment,
Joseph never wavered in his commitment to godly principles. As a result, he was in the right place at the
right time to ensure Israel’s survival, “But
as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to
bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive”(Genesis 50:20).
Daniel, another righteous man in an
idolatrous land, earned the trust of foreign kings by standing firm in his
beliefs (Daniel 1-2). When his friends
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego also refused to compromise their beliefs, they
influenced a king to recognize Jehovah as the one true God, “Therefore I make a decree that any people,
nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach,
Meshack, and Abed-Nego shall be cut to pieces, and their houses shall be made
an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this” (Daniel
3:29).
As these biblical heroes show, godly convictions can withstand the changing view points of opinion and
persuasive reasoning of men. If we are grounded in the Word and trust what
God has said, we can stand firm in our beliefs. Confidence produces the courage to remain
strong during times of conflict.
There are martyrs world-wide who have suffered at the hands
of their accusers, but they do not go against their convictions. We, in the
western “civilized” hemisphere, have not suffered at the hands of those who
physically torture those who preach in Christ’s name. However, we waver in our convictions in the name of “what is socially acceptable.” The Scriptures warn us about such apathy and
how it “waters” down our faith. Paul
urged Timothy to hold fast to faith, “Nor
give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than
godly edification which is in faith” (1 Timothy 1:4).
Today I urge you to examine your heart to see if your convictions are anchored in Jesus or in
the opinions of others. We can only hold
steady in a storm to what we personally believe in. The Scriptures have much to say about the
most important aspects of your life. Through
prayer and study, allow your heart to be firmly rooted in solid biblical convictions that can withstand the storms of life and
the opinion of men.
Prayer—Heavenly
Father, I ask You to help me to hold steady to my convictions of what your Word
proclaims during times of adversities in my life, Today I confess by faith that Your Word is a
strong anchor that I cling to in the time of trouble, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
