Text- Mark 4:16-17 “Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.”
For some days now, we have been on this series, “Examine your roots”. Through the course of this series, we have been able to establish that excitement and zeal can come from many different sources which can be shaken, but commitment usually comes from a conviction which cannot be shaken.
I then mentioned that there are about four stages of progression in solidifying our commitments and building a strong root that cannot be shaken. We have talked about the first three: credulity, curiosity and criticism. Today, we will talk about the fourth – The stage of Conviction.
4. Conviction Conviction talks about a firmly held belief or opinion, being fully persuaded with enough evidence that it is true. In simple terms, your conviction is that thing that you stand for.
Remember that saying, “If you are not standing for something, you can fall for anything”. This is why it is very important to be fully convinced; to be fully persuaded about your beliefs as a Christian.
You can build a sustainable walk with God simply by doing things because that’s what other Christians do, or because that’s what the Pastor suggested, or because that’s how you were brought up. You may start out that way, but you must not stop there; if you do, your root will be weak.
See, you may have been praying, reading the Bible, and going to Church because that’s what you’ve known all your life, or because you were motivated by the examples of other believers around you, but if you want to take deep roots, you must eventually develop your own personal convictions for doing the things you do.
In other words, you must come to a point that you are fully persuaded about the absolute necessity of those things that you do. This is extremely vital for sustaining your spiritual life.
There are 4 things to note here: 1. Information – What to do 2. Description – How to do it 3. Explanation – Why you should do it 4. Conviction – The inner motivation to keep doing it
Some people have so much information, description and explanation on how to build a strong Christian life, but they lack the motivation! Once the motivation is lacking, the root is shallow, and the seed will fall off when it is scorched by the sun.
Don’t get me wrong, God wants us to be obedient, and to follow as true sheep, but beyond that, He wants us to have our own personal convictions too; as one preacher puts it, “He wants us convinced deep in our bones. He wants this oozing out of our pores and out of our skins.”
Are you fully convinced?
PRAYERS
1. Lord, please help me to take roots deep in my walk with you so that I will not fall away when troubles and persecutions arise.
2. Lord, let your gospel not be mere words to me, but let me encounter the dimensions of its power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.
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