[Faith-talk] Conviction verses compulsion

[WESLEY BURDEN]

Conviction Vs. Compulsion



"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is  liberty."



In my younger days I sincerely wanted to obey God and

do his will but was confused about how to know his

will.



I went through a time when I felt that the  "little

voice inside my head" was God speaking to me, which I

interpreted as a conviction. But I was wrong. It was a

compulsion.



Admittedly, it can be tricky to discern between a

conviction and a compulsion. I like to compare the

difference between the two  like that of comparing

lust to love. Lust can look like love, smell like

love,  and feel like love--but is a world apart from

love. Love can wait. Lust can't.  Love gives. Lust

takes. Love is an energizer and a motivator of

persons. Lust  is a deceiver and a destroyer of

persons.



And so it is with compulsions; they can be from

within ourselves, or from the tempter. For instance,

if the devil knows he  can't pull us down into a life

of sin, illicit sex, alcohol and the like, he  will

try and push us over the top and, as the old saying

goes, we become so  heavenly minded we are of no

earthly use.



Whether from the devil or our own self, compulsions

are deceptive and destructive--and are never from

God--ever. For "where the  Spirit of the Lord is there

is liberty" always. But where the spirit of

compulsion is, there is bondage. A conviction is where

you are drawn to follow  and you always have the

freedom not to do so. With a compulsion, you are

driven  and feel compelled to do so--it's that little

voice inside your head that says,  "You've got to do

it. You've got to do it. You've got to do it--or

something bad will happen if you don't." Taken to an

extreme, as it is for  those who suffer from the

mental illness, OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder),

it can drive a person--and those whom they live

with--"crazy."



Because of compulsions, some Christians do some crazy

things in the name of the Lord. True, sometimes God

wants some people to do  unusual things, but never

weird things. For instance, in younger days, had the

"little voice in my head" told me to stand on my head,

I would have  felt compelled to do it. I doubt if I

would have done it, but would have felt  guilty if I

didn't. We need to remember that God's Word says, "Let

all  things be done decently and in order." That's

wise advice to follow. God has  also given us a head

as well as a heart, and we need to use both.



Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the

insight to know the difference between a conviction

and a compulsion, the  wisdom to reject compulsions,

and the courage to follow convictions that come  from

your Spirit. Thank you for hearing and answering my

prayer. Gratefully, in  Jesus' name, amen."


Stu
<mailto:K5stu at sbcglobal.net>K5stu at sbcglobal.net
Reading your Bible today will help prepare you for A Brighter Tomorrow!
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