This Mother’s Day, I want to bring a message that talks about the position of our hearts and how we hear God the best. So let’s take a look at a chapter in the Bible written by the mother of King Lemuel. It talks about some characteristics of an excellent woman and mother.

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.” (Prov. 31:25-27) In other words, a woman of excellence has a watchful eye over her family.

When I was growing up, my mother could, with just one look, convict me (no not condemn) in order to remind me of what I should or should not be doing. And when I’d confess what I had done wrong, it restored my heart to her. Then once I knew I was okay with Mom, I felt so much better.

In the same way, the Lord uses conviction in our hearts. And the way we respond will determine whether or not we’ll be restored back to Him. You see when we have a good sense about life and loving God or when our hearts are healthy, we’ll tend to make good decisions. Healthy hearts healthy decisions. On the other hand, if our hearts are adrift, we will make unwise decisions. And though it’s very uncomfortable to feel convicted, God uses that to help us correct back to Him. However, if our hearts are not in a right place, our tendency is to respond with anger, excuses, blame, defensiveness, or denial.

The Bible talks about how the Pharisees and chief priests responded to conviction. One day Jesus was telling some parables which actually were about the Pharisees and chief priests even though He didn’t mention them by name. Still they knew Jesus was talking about them and immediately they felt convicted. How did they respond? Did they repent, correct their hearts, and allow it to change their future? Let’s take a look at their response and how we can learn some ways to help us in…

MEASURING OUR TOLERATION FOR CONVICTION:

“When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.” (Matt. 21:45-46) That’s right! They wanted to kill Jesus. You see, for some people, convictions stir feelings that are so detestable they will react in anger towards anyone who reveals that to them. And if we are resistant to any feeling of conviction, here are four warning signs that…

1.     A LOW TOLERANCE CAN BE SEEN IN:

a.       Anger- We will get angry at anyone who causes us any twinge of conviction. We may know God is nudging us to change, but if our hearts are displaced, then we are intolerable to conviction.

b.      Defensiveness – We are defensive with the very people trying to help us stay accountable.

c.       Blame – We blame others instead of taking responsibility for our actions.

d.      Poor Decisions – We make poor decisions because our hearts are adrift.

We need to be able to receive conviction in order that we may be restored to the Father. Remember that if you ever feel condemned, it is not from the Lord because condemnation comes from the enemy and adversary of our souls. It does not come from the One who loves us the most, and gave His life for ours. Please understand:

·        CONDEMNATION DRIVES YOU FURTHER FROM GOD, BUT CONVICTION IS HIS WAY OF BRINGING YOU NEAR.

The Bible says that the Son of Man did not come into the world to condemn it, but through Him the world would be saved. He brought Good News, not bad!

And God actually uses conviction as a tool when our hearts stray. You see, when conviction meets pride, it results in defensiveness. On the other hand, when conviction meets humility, it births transformation and our hearts are restored. And one of the greatest tests of spiritual maturity is how well we can tolerate conviction enough to reposition and correct our hearts. “How blessed is the one whom You choose to bring near to You…” (Ps. 65:4)

Our hearts are so susceptible to temptation and thus needs to be corrected a lot because it drifts. Healthy hearts tend to make healthy decisions. And did you know, that out of the 300 decisions (on average) each of us make every single day, that 10% of those are destiny-affecting decisions? Our decisions will come from our heart. In fact, our heart is our perspective on life and our disposition towards God. In other words, our heart is the core of our life so if we set heart on an illicit relationship, our emotions are set in action. That’s why the Bible says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence…” (Prov. 4:23)  Don’t let your heart guide your life, let the Spirit of God guide your heart.

Here is a prayer that helps me: “God, please restore my heart to a healthy place before my next decision.” And when your heart is restored through responding well to conviction, you will be making healthy decisions. On the other hand, if you continue making bad decisions and have to hit the wall before you stop just think of what a huge mess you’ll have to clean up.

Recognize your responses. Anger, defensiveness, blame, and poor decisions are signs of low tolerance for conviction. Know the difference between conviction which draws you near to God and condemnation which drives you away from God. It’s not always easy, but God helps us by giving us…

2.     THREE STEPS OF SUCCESS:

a.       Hard Work-To develop the disciplined life, to be the kind of person God wants you to be. It’s hard to resist the heart when it’s pulling you in different directions and insisting on its way, but it’s worth it.

b.      Home work- Devotions, devotions, devotions! Read God’s Word and journal daily.

c.       Heart Work- We have to spend a lot of time monitoring our heart—why? Because God does.

It is our keys to success when we are able to keep up with all three -- hard work, home work, and heart work.

The Pharisees were very reprehensible when it came to conviction. They rejected, blamed, and were angered by it. They were intolerable of anything and anyone who brought conviction to their lives. Are we like the Pharisees and Chief Priests? Are we defensive, deny responsibility, and refuse to change? “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.” (Matt. 21:45-46)   

Or are we like David? “…I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.” (Jer. 3:15) When leaders have their hearts in the right place, they start to be fed on knowledge and understanding. And that’s who David was. “...I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.”  (Acts 13:22 NKJV). Did he make mistakes? Of course he did, but when Nathan said he messed up, he confessed his sin with Bathsheba and repented immediately; his heart was convicted, and was restored to a place where he could hear God again. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)  

Before technology came along, pilots set their course of flight and continually made course corrections not because they were so far off course, but rather to assure they would stay on course. In the same way, God will bring us little convictions or adjustments to help us stay on course.

Bear in mind that when conviction from the Lord meets pride, the result is defensiveness. But, when the conviction of the Lord is delivered in the midst of His loving embrace, it results in restoration. God loves us dearly. As we understand how much He loves us, our tolerance for conviction increases. We are okay with it, because we know it’s within His embrace. And as we allow Him to restore our heart, our relationship is clean again. Repentance has taken place, and it’s not a big deal. It’s a wonderful deal.  One of the greatest keys to success is how well we tolerate conviction when God speaks. Have a heart that is open to conviction which comes from a loving Father.

Discussion Questions:

1.      Think back. What are some words you could use to describe the feeling before and after you admitted did something wrong?

2.      What is a really good decision you remember making? What kind of space was your heart in, when you made it?

3.      Try to share with the group a recent poor decision, and where your heart was at the time. Were you able to make some adjustments, and restore your heart with the Lord?

4.      All hearts drift. It’s their nature. Describe a time when your heart drifted and you weren’t even aware of it. How can you catch it earlier, next time?

5.      What most impacted you about today’s lesson and how will you apply it to your life this week?

Mahalo to volunteer writer, Robin Hart, whose commitment and faith is reflected through serving through this ministry.