Conscientia

In this day and age it is easy to be persuaded to participate in something that is against your convictions. This threat to your distinct sense of what is acceptable for you isn't always threatened by overtly evil activities. It can be something a simple as a film. Often those we love will question our convictions and assure us that they approve of an activity. But the problem is that this is their own conviction not yours. The Apostle Paul says, "If you go against what you believe is right, then you are sinning." (Romans 14:23), This is what is call specific sin. This is a sin that is exclusive to a person, not to a collective of people. Whether is is right or wrong to see a certain horror film will be different for each individual person. For one the horror film is a entertainment meant to induce terror and adrenaline. For this individual it is fantasy and all the gore and gruesome moments are filtered out. For someone else the horror film is traumatic. A sensitive soul picks up on the author or creator of the morose motion picture and they are disturbed in their soul. The blood isn't ketchup or part of getup, it is a sign of something morbid; an attack on the sanctity of life. The sensitive soul through their lenses sees the monster or murderer and feels the sinister spirit behind it and is thus compelled to turn it off or endure and let their discernment become desensitised.

Everyone has convictions and it is our role as Christians to respect them and to encourage others to respect ours. So when someone is trying to usurp your boundary or condemns your conviction as silly, remind them you are unashamed to retain peace in your soul and that you don't belittle their boundaries. We live in times when it is imperative not to concede our convictions. We must refrain from giving in because of peer pressure or fear of being left out. Those who know what it feels like to compromise, know that you won't miss anything to go to that movie that you know isn't something you condone watching. In the end the guilt will kick in and the images of those things you wish you hadn't seen will haunt you for days or maybe even weeks.

Remember that while you may have a strong internal compass, you should not impose your convictions on someone else. A good example is a recovering alcoholic. The former alcoholic has made the choice that they shall never drink spirits again. This is their conviction in order to remain disciplined and maintain control of self. However, it would be wrong if this person told others not to drink who aren't predisposed to alcoholism. This would be imposing and even marginalizing others over a conscious choice the recovering alcoholic has made. What is right for some, isn't right for others. This is what is called "Binding and losing." There is a verse in the Gospel of Matthew that says, "what is bound on earth is bound in heaven and what is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven." (Matthew 18:18). If you decide in your integrity that something is wrong to do, say it's eating fried foods, you have bound yourself to not eat those foods. If you should choose to go against your conviction and eat fried foods you will be sinning.

Food isn't the best example, lets try video games. Some experts claim video games are detrimental to the brain and that they cause learning disorders such as ADD and ADHD. Other experts say they are harmless or that if you limit the time spent playing a game you reduce exponentially any damage caused by video games. If you believe that the experts who say video games are dangerous to the brain and you decide in your moral compass that you shouldn't play games, and you then play a video game, you have sinned because you are now fighting against your conscience. You are creating in your soul turmoil and confusion. When this happens you become insecure and duplicitous.

So you must decide what will be bound for you and what will be loosed. Now this may sound humanistic, but let me explain. The way to gage what should be accepted or rejected in your life must be guided by The Bible and The Holy Spirit. That internal moral compass inside you is managed by God's Spirit. Every believer who is baptised in the Spirit can tap into it. For the things that the Spirit doesn't quicken to you, The Bible has answers for. Let these be your sources to verify what is right or wrong for you. God won't leave you in the dark. Here I would like to make clear that you should rely on God, not man. I often hear that if you can't decide what to do about the grey things in life, you should seek out an expert or counselor. While this maybe helpful to an extent, only you know if your compass of conviction aligns with their advice or not. You should not conform to their opinion because they have a PHD or because you highly respect them. Your own soul must bare witness with what they have said.

I encourage anyone who feels like they are an odd bird because of their convictions to take heart. Don't think that you are alone in your struggle. It's not easy to take a stand and do what is right. You can feel isolated and lonely. It can be hard when you godly friends ask you to do something that is acceptable for them, but not for you. Don't give in! Stand by your convictions and you won't find yourself in the land of regret or consumed by chaos. Above all else lean on Christ and The Holy Ghost. They will give you comfort and strength in those times when your convictions are put to the test.