The last two weeks have got me thinking about conviction. We have been hearing for the last two Sundays about how we view our physical blessings. We’ve talked about how we sometimes love the gifts more than the giver. We’ve talked about how our response to God’s invitation to use our blessings to bless others tells us much about our openness toward God. I find it interesting, as I mentioned in my message on Sunday, that talking about money makes some people squirm.

Does discussing money at church make you squirm? Here is an even more probing question: have you ever thought about what your squirming looks like? Let me share a few observations. I have seen people squirm under conviction by becoming angry and moody. I’ve seen people squirm under conviction by becoming sullen and withdrawn. I’ve seen others lash out at the person who carried the message and some at innocent bystanders. I’ve even seen folks who wouldn’t admit that they were under conviction, but it would come out in their speech as they tried to essentially argue with God as they were talking with others around them. It is something, watching people squirm under conviction.

Yet, the most interesting squirming I’ve seen (and also the rarest) is the person who squirms with excitement because God is showing them a new area in which they can grow. It is interesting because they look both happy and sad at the same time. They are happy because God is speaking and they are learning. They are sad because they missed something that they could grow in and they know it will be a bit of a struggle to change. I say that it is rare because I don’t see it much. Much more often I see us squirm as if Jesus is performing a tooth extraction and we are holing onto the tooth for all we are worth.

Why is that? Why do we, who believe that Jesus is the way of life, seem to squirm so uncomfortably under His teaching? Wouldn’t it be so much better if we would simply say yes to Him? What causes you to squirm? How do you squirm? Have you experienced by responses to conviction?

Something to think about,
Pastor John