Conviction

What is the meaning of this word?

Webster's online dictionary states:

Pronunciation: k&n-'vik-shun
Function: noun
1 : the act or process of convicting of a crime especially in a court of law
2 a: the act of convincing a person of error or of compelling the admission of a truth
b: the state of being convinced of error or compelled to admit the truth
3 a: a strong persuasion or belief
b: the state of being convinced

synonym see CERTAINTY, OPINION

As a Christian, I have heard this word used often. People are always saying they were convicted by a verse in the bible, by something they saw or read. It never really made sense to me. I always seemed to refer to definition number one. I saw it in my mind as something related to criminal behavior. Bad things....

But I'm reading a book for PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel), and even though I've only finished Chapter 2, I've been convicted.

The book? A Love Worth Giving, by Max Lucado. Boy, oh, boy. I took this study on because it was the easiest one. Sometimes you have to take the easy way out. There were 2 other studies offered...A Case For Christ, and a Beth Moore study.

I did one of those Beth Moore studies, and I KNOW what's involved in them...she tends to delve DEEP into the bible and doing her study with a workbook requires at least a good hour or more of your time, DAILY. I don't have that time - or so I try to tell myself.

A Case for Christ sounded good too...but upon reviewing it, I realized it was still more than I was willing to do...so I thought I was taking the easy way out.

And then comes this book, A Love Worth Giving. Should be easy enough. It focuses on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

The first chapter was an easy read. Then came the second chapter. Talking about why love is patient. And then the word CONVICTION came into my mind. No, I was not a criminal; I had not commited a crime by which I was in front of a jury of my peers. But the conviction was there. Where God has always been and always WILL be patient with me, I have not followed His example. I lack patience, this is WELL known around my house. I want instant reaction, instant gratification, I want what I want when I want it.

Oh, but the conviction of this chapter. We read that"with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day" (2 Peter 3:8). This told me that God will have INFINITE patience with me...it may take a day or a year or a thousand years, but He will always have patience with me until I get it right.

So now, I have to decide if I want to follow this. The grace, patience and mercy that God keeps showing me is the ultimate love...and will I do the same in order to be able to love as He does?

Conviction - I am being convinced that I am wrong in my ways.