Pathway to Conviction

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’…He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful.” Isaiah 30:21, 23

It was the spring of 1995 and high school graduation was quickly approaching. The air was filled with excitement. Parties were planned. College plans were set in stone. It was the closure of childhood and the first step into the world of adulthood!

As exciting as it was, there was a nagging in my heart…a paralyzing pester. In the midst of a completely silent room, it shouted and screamed in my conscience. Although the spring air around me refreshed the ground and brought forth vibrant May flowers, I felt completely smothered, gasping for air in my soul. My life was a fake. For on the outside, I was a Christian teenager…a leader in my school and youth group…the “good” girl. Yet in my heart, I stood face to face with conviction. No matter how hard I tried to escape, conviction always whispered in my heart the way in which I should go.

After a loving yet stern intervention of my parents, I came crashing down as I acknowledged my sin. With their loving support and the power of the Holy Spirit, I was able to face my sin and finally had the courage to turn the direction and head straight toward God’s grace. Did my heart break? Definitely! Was there a shedding of tears? Of course! The pathway of conviction led me in the direction of healing, riding on God’s forgiveness. Then the most amazing thing happened! My heart felt something I had only dreamed of experiencing…something no amount of money can buy…something no worldly pleasure can provide. I experienced something no human can have on their own strength.

Peace.

Finally, the nagging quieted. My soul rested. My spirit could breath once again the fresh breath of God. Only then, after confession and repentance, were my outside actions and my heart walking down the same pathway. God never once gave up on me. He persistently whispered the truth in my heart. He even sent rain to my heart but in the end, the surrender brought forth rich and plentiful food for the soul.

This world tries to make truth relative. However, truth is truth. And no one can deny it. We can run. We can hide. We can turn a deaf ear. But God loves you and me so much that He won’t stop nagging at our hearts while trailing along the pathway of conviction!

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lack anything.” James 1:2-4

Persevere toward truth, my friend! Persevere!!