Embracing Conviction

There is a lot power in understanding the difference between conviction and guilt, and knowing the difference will save a lot of heartache.

Wouldn’t life be far more peaceful if we weren’t living in the shame of past mistakes and bad choices?

Guilt and conviction feel very similar, it’s tough sometimes to know which one we are feeling. And until we understand the difference, we’re doomed to live in a pit of hopelessness and despair.

While, the lies and guilt will still get into our heads, understanding the difference will prevent the lies from finding their ways into our hearts.

Guilt equals shame and condemnation that comes from satan and brings a feeling of hopelessness that doesn’t offer correction or a way out.

Conviction comes through the Holy Spirit which points to an action or mindset and brings hope that offers correction and a way out.

Guilt involves our feelings and the truth is the feelings aren’t facts. But it can sure feel like it at times.

Because conviction and guilt feel so similar, Satan uses that knowledge to sabotage us to create self-doubt, self-loathing, and uncertainty.

With very little effort, Satan makes us believe that we have to sit in the shame of what we’ve done, often making us feel as if we owe it to God to never move on,

Satan and his minions get into the cracks we’ve left open and tell us there’s no way God could ever love us after the choices we’ve made.

Since Satan is so crafty at planting these lies in our heads, we need godly wisdom to understand where these thoughts are coming from.

Understanding this completely takes away the power satan has over us.

Conviction is defined as the feeling of being convinced of a wrongdoing or a sin.

Because Satan is so good at what he does, we’ve been led to believe that conviction isn’t good, thankfully that couldn’t been farther from the truth.

Conviction is the first step to forgiving ourselves.

When we intentions choose to walk closer to God, He will give us the direction and correction we need. He will convict us, and He will never use guilt to do it.

How Satan Uses Guilt

The number one goal of satan is to make us feel alone, hopeless and worthless.

Satan knows how powerful God is and how powerful we are with God on our side, so he will use every possible tactic to bring us down and separate us from God.

Satan generates a blanketing, choking sense of general guilt as if everything is wrong and there is no action we can really take to overcome. Often a sense of complete hopelessness and weakness prevails. We cannot see a light at the end of the tunnel. Which causes us to feel helpless and depressed.

Guilt and condemnation are tactics used to make us feel that it’s too late for us to make things right with God.

How The Holy Spirit Uses Conviction

The Holy Spirit uses conviction to get our attention.

He uses conviction to help us draw closer to God, to lean into Him and ask for forgiveness so that we are free to carry out our ultimate calling. We are then free to enjoy the life He created us for.

He uses conviction to shape and mold us into living righteously and to be a blessing to others.

Living in guilt and shame can send us down a slippery slope, and it isn’t long before we can become consumed by our pain.

If you find yourself turning away from God and putting up walks to hide your shame, then what you’re feeling is guilt.

God never shames you!