Conviction or Guilt-trip?

[This is a bonus post and this content is included in the Week 3 class.]

I want to highlight a concern that some of you may have, a fear that is common to all of us. We don't like feeling guilty and so, we sometimes avoid conflicts, discussions, research or other information that leads us on a "guilt-trip".

I would like to recommend to you that "guilt-trips" are not God-honoring. Conviction, however, is the direct and effective work of the Holy Spirit. Consider the following set of distinctions to draw the contrast between the two.

A "guilt-trip" demands primary attention. It eats at us, consumes us and requires that we either solve the problem or explain it away. We are unable to rest or focus on the other (usually more important) priorities of life until we have eliminated the feeling of guilt. For overwhelming "guilt-trips" that are not easily alleviated, we tend toward depression, despair and at the far end of spectrum -- suicide.

Conviction, on the other hand, is a part of a process. It is a wrestling in our souls. We are sanctified, uplifted and encouraged by the reformation that is at work within us.There is no rush or hurry. This is not to say that the Holy Spirit is easily put off or that convictions do not include urgency, but the Holy Spirit has called us to live a life that is constantly being made new. It is His process. He knows how it works. He knows that a rush to judgement, a quick resolution or an easy justification will only result in temporary change. The heart is not getting involved. Conviction by the Holy Spirit is working on our hearts. He intends for us to live and to live confidently and wholeheartedly out of our convictions. 

Convictions drive us to a joyful wonder. Think of it as a stroll with Jesus: head up, eyes forward.

"Guilt-trips" capture our mind and our feelings with immediate demands. Think of it as a frantic hopping, from one concern to the next: head down, consumed with the problems.