Text- Galatians 1:10 – "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ”
The decisions we make and the actions we take in life are determined by what beliefs or opinions we firmly hold onto. Every man has something they hold very dear, and will not compromise on come what may… That is what conviction is all about.
Conviction is about the heart; it’s where everything flows out from. As such, it is important to talk about this topic so that you can rightly examine yourself and make realignments where needed.
Bible says in Proverbs 24:10, “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” You see, your conviction is where your strength lies. If your conviction is weak, then your strength is weak, and you won’t be able to stand in the day of adversity; in the face of trials and temptations.
We have seen some of the wrong convictions people hold onto in the past few days, namely Law, Science and Civility. Today, we will examine yet another.
4. SUPPORT GROUP/SYSTEM
Some people are privileged to have a group of people around them with common experiences, common goal or who care deeply about them. These people would often give them some sort of encouragement, comfort, and advice. That is what support group/system is all about.
Examples of support groups are family, church, friends, fellowship etc. Support groups and systems are very good; the Bible in fact encourages us to have them. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”
But if all you’ve got is a support group/system; if the only reason why you keep doing right is because of your Family, Pastor, Friends etc.,then your strength is little.
People are fallible; only the word of God is not! People change, but the word of God does not! Your spiritual father will not follow you everywhere you go; your friends may not be with you forever… What if you, or they, have to change location and the support system is no longer as strong as it used to be?
It’s very okay to start out with drawing conviction from your support group/system, but you must not remain there for too long. Your support system should not replace the word of God in your life.
For example, a teenager may refuse to be promiscuous because he/she has made a promise of chastity to her parents, but that may not last too long, especially when there is external pressure from her peers or from the society and his/her hormones begin to rage.
When there is enough pressure and serious temptation, you may find yourself querying, and even going against, everything you have held onto if your only/major source of conviction is your support group.
Beloved, it is only our resolute commitment to obey God that has the capacity to endure all forms of temptations. As you grow in faith, what you get from your support group/system should be more of inspiration than conviction. Your source of conviction should be the word of God.
PRAYER
Lord, if there is any area of my life where my convictions are wrong, help me to realign today so that in the face of trials and temptations, my resolve to serve and to please you will not fail.
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