How our personal convictions impede our faith walk

There are times when personal convictions build up our faith and our ability to serve Christ and there are times when these things are an impediment to serving Christ.

That’s a pretty bold statement but allow me to unpack a few things: by personal convictions, I mean the body of values and beliefs that guide our lives. These convictions may have grown from what we were taught, what we experienced, or what the Holy Spirit has ministered to us through his word and will.

Basically, our personal convictions can grow out of our relationship with God, whatever that may look like. More so, they are often hard to build and hard to shake off. It is these convictions that can lead us to stop doing certain things or pick up certain habits/actions.

For instance, many of my personal convictions were borne out of things I believe God said to me through the Bible and his Holy Spirit. A few years ago. I stopped drinking not because of any church doctrines but because on some particular day while reading the story of King Lemuel in Proverbs 31, I felt the Lord impress on my heart the need to abstain from alcohol. You may be wondering if this means that Christians shouldn’t drink? But I am learning that this may be the wrong question, the key question is to ask whether God wants us to drink. In essence, this is one of those lifestyle choices we should subject to the living word of God.

But this post is not about drinking but how our personal convictions affect our ability to serve Christ. When I talk about serving Christ, one word usually comes to mind – surrender.

 

Serving Christ in spirit and in truth

Our ability to serve Christ is about how willing we are to surrender it all to him. To surrender our thoughts, our talents, our gifts, and definitely our personal convictions. This means nothing should come between us and Christ.

I like to think that all Christians are on a surrendering spectrum.

There are those of us who are on one end of this spectrum where the self wins and those as close as possible to the other end where we are continually seeking to give Christ our 100%.

More so, this spectrum is not static, as you can imagine but an ever-evolving movement of how we choose to live our lives.

Our personal convictions become an impediment when we cling to them rather than cling to Christ. When they become our compass to navigating life, rather than an experience to strengthen our resolve to follow Christ.

 

Six ways in which our personal convictions stop us from serving Christ

Here are some practical examples of how the way we navigate our convictions and lifestyle choices can negatively impact our faith walk:

1. When we apply a conviction in one area of our life to all areas

There are times when we are led to make some changes in one area of our lives, this doesn’t automatically mean that the same change should apply to other areas of our lives. In such situations, we are to seek God’s counsel to understand how these changes should apply.

 

2. When we use our personal convictions as the standard for Christianity

Christ, alone, is our standard – our standard against legalism, worldliness, and coercion. He is the rock, the foundation on which anything must be and can be built.

There have been stories of churches and religious movements borne out of what may have been personal convictions. Examples are those where:

• There is a ban on wearing jewelry and ostentatious clothing,
• Ban on wearing trousers, women covering their hair, and only male leaders.
• Use of anointing oil in all blessings and healings
• Listening to certain types of songs or using certain worship styles, amongst others

The problem with these sorts of practices is that many times, the church becomes more about the rituals than about God. In addition, these practices may have started with the firm belief that it is what God wants or expects of us, without asking Him for his plan.

 

3. When our personal convictions lead to self-righteousness and pride

Our personal convictions are often a reflection of our relationship with God and our ability to hear him. If not managed well, we may start to believe we are better than others or that God tells us things he doesn’t tell others. We may even judge another’s faith based on this perceived level of superiority, which is not only dangerous but such a shame.

Here’s a question to consider:

“When others think of you, do they think more about your personal opinion and lifestyle choices than they do about Christ?”

Leslie Ludy, The set-apart woman

This issue came up while I was thinking about my social media use. As many of you know, I left most of the major social media platforms a few years ago and haven’t been back. This was not a decision I made willy nilly, but a personal conviction from the Holy Spirit.

This means I cannot judge other Christians based on my personal experience with the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, I cannot feel superior because God spoke to me about this area of my life. If anything, it is always such a humbling experience and a beautiful revelation of God’s grace when he takes interest in all areas of our lives.

4. When we get our personal convictions from the wrong source

You already know that the true source of our conviction must be Christ. It cannot be your partner, your parents, or the world. These parties can lead you to consider your values and beliefs but this must be in alignment with God’s word (as revealed by His spirit). Otherwise, you may find that the basis of what you believe is already faulty and unlikely to bear the right fruits.

In the same vein, we need to be careful that what we call personal convictions are not simply fads and trends in the Christian faith. We should be quick to ask: if we dress, speak, or act a certain way because we see others doing it?

In 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, the apostle Paul calls us to ‘test all things holding on to what is good and doing away with evil.’(paraphrase)

This has been one of the guiding principles of my life and has allowed me continually check the state of my heart and motive, while also seek God’s insight on my actions.

 

5. When we think our personal convictions should apply forever

One of the things I have learned in my walk with God is to ‘never say never. With God all things are possible, and nothing is off-limits. The same God who says ‘go’ can also say ‘stop’ or ‘turn-back.’

I think we often have this idea that if God gives the green light, then the light must remain green forever, but I haven’t seen anything in scripture (nor from the lives of Christians I’ve read about) that supports this.

Perhaps, God has led you to a particular career, to a particular church, or to dress a certain way. This doesn’t mean he cannot lead you on a different path.

The danger of leaning too deeply to our personal convictions rather than to Christ is that we may continue to hold on to what God has called us to let go of. In essence, we must continue to seek the will of God in each season of our lives, and not imagine that how things worked in the past will be the same in the future.

Imagine if Abraham had held on to God directing him to kill Isaac, and had not listened to the spirit ‘calling him not to lay a hand on that boy?’ (see Genesis 22)

 

6. When we think our personal conviction is the end rather than the means to an end.

Many times, what we are convicted to do or not do is not the key issue, but only an expression of a deeper meaning or purpose.

A clear example was the vision Peter received about unclean meat. I would argue that the deeper meaning was to showcase that it is ultimately God who determines the state of things. In the story of Peter and Cornelius, we see God exhibit His love for the gentiles, and the need to neither discriminate nor impose the Jewish ways on these ones.

Another popular example is the Jewish tradition of circumcision. I believe that the circumcision was not just about removing the foreskin on the reproductive organ of male children but God’s way of setting the Israelites apart. It was some sort of sanctification. This invariably meant that with the arrival of Jesus Christ, who is the blood and sanctification of God’s people, the physical ‘setting apart was no longer necessary. Here is how Paul says this:

“A person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.”

Romans 2:28-29 (NIV)

I believe this lesson is so important and one I must be continually mindful of. When God directed me to stop wearing make-up, a few years ago, it was obvious that the issue wasn’t necessarily with makeup. Wearing makeup is not a sin. I believe it was more of a heart issue. It was about how my physical appearance affected my decisions and service. I should also add that a few months ago, I was led to start wearing makeup again, confirming that with God, you never say never.

Similarly, the deeper meaning may just be about our ability to trust and obey God in that area of our life.

How about you?

Can you think of the deeper meaning behind your personal convictions?

Perhaps, God is actively dealing with an area of your life because you have made it an idol. I remember reading about a ‘woman of God’ who God had directed not to wear jewelry. I later learned that she had been a bit obsessed with gold, spending heavily on gold jewelry.

 

Conclusion: Let your convictions strengthen, not impede your Christian walk

Reading through this post, you may have picked up the fact that our personal convictions matter. They can strengthen our resolve to follow Christ and can be a channel through which we deepen our relationships with Christ. But we must remember that these convictions are not the end, neither are they the compass we need to navigate life. They are simply real and often practical expressions of God’s revelations in our life.

To ensure that these well-meaning lifestyle choices do not become a stumbling block in our lives or those of others, we must continually test all things – our thoughts, our values, beliefs, experiences, and perspectives – holding on to what is true and in alignment with God’s will, per time, and doing away with anything that conflicts with God’s truth.

 

Do you have any convictions that you have practiced for a while? Please share with us.