Developing Convictions to Guide You

April, 2003

by: Lisa Hughes

Tucked inside my Bible on a worn and yellowed index card is a quote by Susanna Wesley. Sometime during my college years I read about this intriguing lady, but of all the things I learned about her this one statement has stayed with me and guided me in my daily walk with the Lord.

Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or removes your relish for spiritual things — that is sin to you.

In a succinct way this quote helps me evaluate my thoughts and actions to determine if they are pleasing to the Lord or not.

Whatever weakens your reason. The most obvious would be alcohol or drugs, but what if there is a person in your life who weakens your reason and causes you to fall into sin?

Whatever impairs the tenderness of your conscience. That would be anything where you have to harden your conscience in order to partake of that activity — certain movies, TV shows and books would definitely fit into that category. Certain kinds of conversations (gossip, filthy talk, slander) could hurt your conscience too.

Whatever obscures your sense of God. Sometimes for me, just spending too much time at the mall with its continual calls to buy, buy, buy; need, need, need, clouds my sense of God so I need to limit my time there.

Whatever removes your relish for spiritual things could be anything that contends for your affections and allegiance to God.

Notice that Susanna Wesley concludes her statement with “that is sin to you.” She is talking about developing convictions that will help you walk more consistently with Jesus Christ. Those areas that may not be sin for someone else become a “no–fly zone” for you because of your love for Jesus.