Personal Conviction

This is a topic that needs more space and time than I have right now, but I will do my best to stay on the main path and not on the rabbit trails. When we talk about personal conviction of the Holy Spirit, we must understand what conviction is and what it is not. Conviction is communication for the purpose of realization, choice, and restoration. It is the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart, revealing truth, inviting a response, and guiding you back into alignment with God. Conviction is a loving process that leads toward renewal. Equally important is knowing what conviction is not: it is not shame, guilt, or condemnation. Those things tear down and imprison, while conviction restores, frees, and is rooted in God’s desire for wholeness in your life. The Holy Spirit’s guidance is deeply personal—shaped by your purpose, calling, and the specific work God is doing in you. What may be a danger to your walk might not be a danger to someone else, and vice versa. Only He can rightly guide and correct you. Our role toward one another is not to convict or condemn but to love. Sometimes love includes a warning. Just as I would alert my child before they step into a pothole, we should care enough for our brothers and sisters to gently warn them when they are headed toward a spiritual “face plant.”

“Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them.” — Romans 14:3 (NLT)