Developing Convictions...

Conviction – (1) the act of convincing a person of error or of compelling the admission of a truth (2) the state of being convinced of error or compelled to admit the truth (3) a strong persuasion or belief

Allan and I are learning the importance of developing convictions. I heard it explained once in a sermon that the phases are truth can be explained in three steps. First, is the cognition phase. This is where you understand and recognize truth. This is only the starting point. Second, is the conviction phase. The truth you understood now becomes your beliefs and it is what motives and drives you. In order to have the right convictions you need to have the right knowledge. It is during this second phase that you take ownership of the truths from the first phase. Third, is the affection phase. You know and believe certain truths and now you love these truths. It is during this phase that no one needs to tell you to do certain things. You do things because of love and you are driven by your affections.

In this sermon I was listening to the pastor summarized the three phases of truth to explain how to get to the third phase. First settle what you believe. Then develop convictions. Finally move in the direction of your affections.

It was just last night that Allan and I were talking and reflecting on what we are learning right now. Allan said that he thinks God is teaching us the importance of developing convictions in our lives. Serving at FCC in Agua Dulce has caused Allan and I to stop and ask ourselves, what do we believe? Why do we believe what we do? How should our beliefs motivate our actions? Before God brought us to serve at FCC the phase of God’s truth in our lives was somewhere between phase one and two. We understood and recognized God’s truth. But it is only now that we are seeing that our understanding of God’s Word should motivate and drive our actions.

I see the importance of developing convictions in the training and shepherding of our son Jakob. I understand and recognize what the Bible says about training and shepherding your child. But I realize that unless I build convictions on this understanding I will not be motivated to train and shepherd Jakob the way the Bible commands. But once the truth of the Bible on training one’s child becomes my own personal beliefs, then I will be motivated by love and affection. I will no longer have to be told “train and shepherd Jakob’s heart and life”, instead I will be driven by my love and affection for soul and God’s glory.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This current lesson in Allan and my life is just yet another blessing that God teaching us in this seemingly “delay” of our efforts to get to the missions field. God is graciously and gently shaping and strengthening our faith in His Word – so that by His grace we may be better tools for His glory.