Before I get into my topic, I wanted to remind you of a couple of things. Each month I give away a $10.00 gift card from Caribou Coffee to someone who posts on this blog. Next week I'll announce July's winner. I love to hear from you! There were some incredible comments on last week's post. God is moving in the hearts of His people!

In celebration of my new release, "The Uncommon Woman" I will award a $50.00 VISA gift card to someone who posts in August. Each week I'll post about what it means to be uncommon and I know you've got things to say about that! The call to be uncommon is straight from the Word of God, and I want to hear from you!

Here's another way to win a $50.00 VISA gift card. Read my new book and post a review on Amazon (follow the link above). Email me letting me know you posted your review. One of you will win the gift card. I'll announce that winner in my quarterly E-zine (next issue releases October 15). Want to subscribe? Click here: Susie's Contact Page

Now...On to my topic:

Do you ever find yourself watching the news and wondering how people can do the things they do? I almost can't bear to watch the news before I go to bed at night. If I hear that one more young man has assaulted an elderly woman for the $35.00 she has in her purse, I think I'll have a fit. 

I guess we shouldn't be surprised since the Bible tells us that in the last days, people will become lovers of themselves; haters of God; haters of others. Lord, forgive us.

Now let's take a look within the Church. Many are desperate for a fresh revelation of God. Some fumble their way through with their one-foot-in-one-foot-out lifestyles. And still others, are perfectly content to live by the moral code by which they were raised.

In light of the evil that surrounds us, morality and goodness are, well...good, right? Right. These are great things. But as Believers, is it enough to subscribe to a moral code? 

What about conviction?

And what's the difference? 

I'd say the difference is this: A moral code gives us guidelines in which we live: boundary lines we do not cross; places we would never visit; things we would never do. 

Conviction on the other hand, compels us to a much higher standard.

Living simply by a moral code allows you to go on auto-pilot. You do what you should do. You don't do what you shouldn't do. But there's no expectancy, no spiritual tension within you. No readiness to respond to the inner voice that calls you to pick up and do something radical for the sake of obedience and love.

Living by conviction is something different altogether. It's the living breathing voice of the Holy Spirit within us. Sure, we don't do the things we shouldn't, but not because these things are on some sort of list. 

We do what we do because we cherish our oneness with God so much that we respond to anything and everything He says to us.

I can't remember if I already shared this on a previous post, so forgive me if you've heard this before. Because I wanted my sons to walk closely with the Lord, and to cherish His voice in their lives, I told  them about the 'Conscience Box' analogy when they were very young. This is what I said, "Picture Jesus placing in the center of your heart, a small box with four sharp corners. Whenever you do or say or think something that is different than God would want for you, that little box will turn and prick you. That's how you'll know you're on the wrong track. Listening to Jesus' voice within you is everything! It's a gift to you. If you ignore the little pricks, your ignorance acts like sandpaper, sanding down the corners. And next time you make a wrong choice, you won't feel it as much. Unless you ask for forgiveness and determine to listen when He speaks to you." Jake looked up at me and asked, "Is that why bad guys can kill people without thinking too much about it? Is their conscience box spinning because they're not paying attention to right and wrong?" "That's exactly right" I replied.

The conscience box analogy was something I heard from another mom when my kids were babies.