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Mar 29, 2025 06:00am

When Conviction Calls

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Sitting in the dark beside a lifeless machine, I realized something: I had followed people into a chase I never wanted.

How often do we chase after things without knowing where they lead?

The thump of engines rattled off the trees; dust swirled in their wake. I followed, though I never meant to. The chase wasn’t mine, but somehow, I had been swept into it.

Blue lights flashed in the distance. The tall grass came to life with each glinting flash. The motors that once shattered the silence around me in the distance died down.

I was alone.

I twisted the key, but my four-wheeler refused to turn over. My worst fear tightened around my chest. Darkness pressed in. The shadows around me grew denser. I sat, hunkered down, in nature’s suspense. I relied on others to lead the way, not knowing where we were going. Now, without them, I was lost.

Desperate, I angled my tires downhill, rolling just enough to build momentum. I dropped the clutch at the last second, shifting into first gear. The tires grabbed the earth beneath them. The engine coughed, then roared back to life.

But I still had no headlights.

I had power but no vision. Movement but no clarity.

In the distance, a flicker—a beam of light cut through the trees, sweeping the landscape as a lighthouse guides sailors home. I turned toward it, drawn by the only illumination I could find. The glow revealed the tangled thorns and hidden ditches around me, dangers I hadn’t noticed before. It didn’t just show me the way forward but also exposed how lost I was.

Jesus said, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7, ESV).

The Holy Spirit convicts. Some resist that truth, fearing the discomfort it brings. But conviction isn’t about shame. We aren’t meant to stay convicted. Conviction is about waking up to the situation we are in. It’s the moment the headlights flash across the landscape, revealing the danger around us and the way home.

Without the Spirit’s conviction, we keep running. We chase shadows, crossing lines we were never meant to cross. We tell ourselves that sin is just part of the ride. But one day, the noise will die down. The distractions will vanish. The crowd that has led us astray will outrun us. When that happens, we will be left alone with nothing but the weight of our choices.

The Spirit doesn’t convict to condemn. He convicts to save.

God doesn’t leave us stranded in conviction. He doesn’t show us our sins only to abandon us in them. He comforts, guides, and leads.

That night, I searched for the only light I could trust—a steady glow in the distance. It didn’t blind me. It was just enough—just enough to show me the trouble I was in. Just enough to lead me toward safety.

The Holy Spirit does the same. He lifts our eyes to the cross. He calls us back to grace. Conviction should never be the end of the story. It is the beginning of redemption.

Jesus continued, “When He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment . . . When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:8-13a, ESV).

The path forward demands a response. The light is there, and the way home is clear. The question becomes: Will you follow?

Tell me—have you ever felt the Spirit convicting you? Have you ever ignored Him, only to realize He was leading you home? If you’re willing to share, I’d love to hear how God has worked in your life.