We all have certain beliefs that shape our lives. They affect where we spend our time and money. They impact where we go or what we enjoy. Often, our convictions even cause us to sacrifice other things in order to follow them. And there are times when those sacrifices can seem too great, or the desire to compromise our beliefs is too tempting.
How should we respond when we get tired of our convictions?
Know when they need to change
First, we need to realize the source of our convictions. Are we believing something because it’s absolutely true, or because they seemed right? If we’re living a certain way because it’s what we’ve always done and we’re too stubborn or prideful to stop, that may be a sign those beliefs may not be worth holding.
If you’ve ever met a dedicated atheist, you may be familiar with what this looks like. There are those who believe God doesn’t exist simply because they aren’t convinced. There are many others, however, who don’t believe in God because they don’t want to believe in God. I’ve heard people claim that, even if they were given clear evidence that God and the Bible are real, they would still refuse to believe them. They are so locked into a belief that they refuse to be convinced otherwise.
When we’re evaluating the value of our convictions, the first thing we need to examine is the source. If we hold a belief that isn’t clearly supported by the Bible, then we need to genuinely examine it. Too often we want to insist that everything we do and believe is right, and therefore everyone who disagrees with us is clearly wrong.
The reason for becoming so entrenched in our beliefs often come down to pride. Perhaps a conviction is part of our identity, and we’re afraid that saying it is wrong means that we are wrong. Sometimes we’ve sacrificed friends, family, and opportunities because we were so passionate about something, and to give up on it requires us to admit our mistake cost us so much.
Whatever the reason, and whatever the belief, being honest with ourselves is important for the days ahead of us. We worship a God who loves truth. Because of that, we want to understand and pursue truth as much as we are able.
If something we believe is misplaced, our love for God is able to overcome our love of being right. The humility to change a wrong belief, no matter how central is may feel to our lives and identity, is a wonderful example of God’s grace in our lives.
Know when to ignore doubt
However, there are many convictions we hold that feel wrong, or worthless, at certain times. Perhaps it’s when our friends and family mock us. Or maybe there’s something we really want to enjoy, and we tell ourselves it’s probably okay this one time.
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:17)
Our conscience is a wonderful, and sometimes frustrating, gift from God. There are times it saves us from making a huge mistake, and we are so thankful for it. Other times it feels like a really boring friend always telling us what we should and shouldn’t do. It calls us to deny ourselves something we’re convinced will make us happy, and that can make it an enemy.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
As followers of Jesus Christ, our conscience isn’t just influenced by culture, but by the Holy Spirit. By living in us, He continually gives us a mind that is more like Christ and less like the world. Thus those things we once loved are now worthy of our hatred. The things we once thought would bring us lasting happiness now only creates a painful emptiness.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)
What we call “good” now is usually different from what we once thought was good before Christ saved us. And in time, things we call “good” now may eventually reveal themselves to be worthless in the future.
However, if we hold a conviction built on the truth of God’s word, then we need to hold fiercely to that truth. Whatever doubt may come, whatever mockery or sacrifice we must make to hold it, there are some things we must simply never bend on. And the true test of that conviction doesn’t come when things are easy, but when everything else is asking them to give up on it.
For example, if someone is convinced that nudity has no place in any TV show or movie they watch, then holding to that belief may have a price. The world will call them stuck up. Their friends may leave them feeling left out as they talk about last night’s episode. And their own desires may wage war within them as they consider justifying a compromise that lets them watch without feeling too bad about it.
In those moments, there’s value in examing that belief. Has God really burdened their conscience about nudity, or is it just a belief with no merit? Of course by looking at what Christ says in Matthew 5:27-28, that person can know that their decision isn’t something they should give up on because it’s clear why they have that conviction in the first place.
Never make a belief more important than truth
The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin. (Romans 14:22-23)
Convictions are fascinating. God is clear throughout the New Testament that something can be sin to one person, yet not sin to another. At the same time, there are something things that are always sin to everyone because we can’t take part in them without contradicting who God is and what He values.
The difficult question is understanding the difference. What are things that are concrete and immovable, and what are things that we may see as wrong today, yet through maturity and learning can realize we are the ones who was wrong?
Unfortunately, much of the tension between Christians comes from that very question. Think of all the things people use the Bible to battle over:
- Bible versions
- Music
- Infant baptism
- Whether Christ really was God
- Which denomination is the right one
- Clothing
- How we’re justified before God
- The end times
- What days Christians should meet together
- What parts of the Old Testament law we obey
The question becomes what beliefs are essential to Christian belief and which are a matter of personal conscience. Is it possible to wear certain clothes or listen to certain music that other Christians don’t without either of us being in sin? Is it possible to view salvation differently without one person teaching a false gospel?
When we dig into certain beliefs and convictions, we will often realize that something we once held so dearly may not be as concrete and absolute as we once thought. We realize that something that could end a friendship isn’t actually as clear as we once thought. What do we do when a belief that means so much to us shows itself to be completely wrong?
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)
This is where wisdom and maturity can be seen in a Christian. Someone who loves God above all else is willing to abandon any belief that proves itself to be wrong. Perhaps our minds aren’t changed immediately, but through careful study and reasoning we accept that we were, indeed, wrong.
This is a process we all go through because it’s a crucial part of our growth. Realizing we don’t know everything gives us a thirst for digging into God’s word, learning how to separate truth from opinion, and keep examining ourselves. Not only that, but it demands humility to place our entire lives under the authority of the Bible, rather than abusing God’s word by bending it to fit whatever beliefs we want to hold.
We will all come to a point where we question our beliefs. Perhaps that’s a moment of God’s goodness revealing to us an area where we can bring Him glory by changing. Or perhaps we’re facing a time where we must decide whether God’s truth is worth the struggle and sacrifice required to hold it, no matter what the world or our own hearts would rather have us believe.
Hold firmly to those beliefs that are essential to glorifying God. Have the humility to carefully examine everything and ask whether they are true, a matter of personal conscience, or completely wrong and in need of change. And above all, pray that God gives each of us the wisdom to love His truth over our own.
