Feeling Convicted

When I don’t feel like doing something, I am strongly tempted to just not do it.  Sometimes, I play basketball in the evening and afterwards I come home super tired.  I know I should shower before I sleep because my body has been covered in my own sweat and others’ sweat.  I’m sure there’s a lot of germs and dirt mixed in there too.  Sometimes I make myself shower, but other times I dry myself up, just change my clothes, and pass out on my bed without showering.  Pretty grimy, I know.

We like to do things we feel like doing and we don’t like to do things we don’t feel like doing.  Pretty simple.  Unfortunately, I see this pattern play itself out in the lives of plenty of Christians.  If I feel convicted of this particular sin, I will repent and obey.  If I don’t feel convicted, I will think about it and pray that I’ll feel convicted one day and for now I’ll keep on sinning.  But I’ll think about it!

This is troubling.  It is even more troubling when the particular sins are stated in the Bible as sins, as clear as day.  I know it is wrong and is a sin, but I don’t feel convicted, I say!  I need to think and pray about it.  Insert ‘ORLY?!’

Putting our faith in God and bearing good fruit occurs when we act in obedience.  And just as a reminder, delayed obedience is still disobedience.  This should trouble a whole lot of us.  Not feeling convicted is never a good enough excuse to continue sinning.  When confronted with sin, let’s see our rebellious hearts, then look to Christ’s work on the cross, humbly repent, and quickly obey.  Let’s stop fooling around, trying to be slick.  He wants to rid us of our filthy, sweat-drenched clothes, cleanse us by His blood, clothe us in His righteousness, and have us resting in perfect peace in His presence.

Let’s hit the shower.

 

Luke 6:46-49
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”