Live The Difference

Ok, there's this one thing called conviction. And there's this other thing called condemnation.

One is good. One is bad. I'll give you 2 guesses and the first 1 don't count.

Although, they start with the same letter, they are nothing alike.

Conviction is this God-given mechanism inside of us that helps to correct the out of tune strings of our heart. Pardon my musical analogy but I think it's fitting. Conviction does not tell us we're worthless. Nor does it back us up into a corner. Conviction shows us the way out.

Condemnation is a dirty word. I don't like it honestly. It keeps us down. It blinds our future. It's that credit card with mounting interest that will never let you get ahead of your debt. Condemnation is never healthy and never from God.

The Bible says in Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." There you have it. Condemnation is not Christ's deal. It's just not his thing.

It's a scary thought to be "condemned" and yet I'm realizing that I embody that burden in my daily life. I allow the guilt and shame of my past to cloud my vision instead of allowing God's loving conviction to lift my head.

There's a HUGE difference here. Live the difference.