I get motion sick pretty easily. In fact, all it normally takes is for me to be in the backseat of a car. So, when my family went on a cruise, I was a little nervous. However, I was assured that the ship was so big it would take a lot of rough seas to cause significant movement. Well, our first night had a lot of crosswinds. Every time I tried to walk, I felt like the ground was moving. Several times, I almost lost my footing. I finally got dizzy and had to lie down for the rest of the night.
The apostle Paul had two great desires in life; (1) To live his life wholly for the Lord and thus bring honor and glory to his God, (2) to help others. This is the essence of the Christian religion. Paul wept over others. (Rom. 1:14) — “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise;”
(Rom. 10:1) — “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”
Paul was a man who left his mark on human history because he had proper convictions and he lived by those convictions. Convictions — “A strong persuasion or belief” Everyone has some convictions; some are right, some are wrong, and some are weak.
This is what it’s like for men who lack conviction—strong convictions about their identity, what they believe, and morality. They lack solid footing, constantly getting pushed around by the cultural waves of moral relativism. In his book Dangerous Good, author Kenny Luck talks about the need for men to be a force for good in the world. He believes God created each of us with purpose. In order to know your purpose, you have to have conviction. Do you have it? From Kenny Luck’s book, here are 5 signs you are a man of conviction.
Table of Contents
1. You defuse conflict.
“When you know and embrace who you are, it leads to less conflict.”
2. You defeat temptation.
We are tempted by many things, such as to slack off because we lack the integrity to get ahead, to lie to make ourselves look better, and by lust, pride, and the list goes on. Sometimes we are tempted multiples times in a minute. When temptation hits, the thing that helps us overcome is conviction.
3. You direct others.
When you are a person with conviction, other people will seek you out for advice. In Dangerous Good, Kenny Luck says, “When you ask a person with weak convictions, ‘What should I do?’ they will tell you to do what you feel is best. Not only is this unhelpful, but it is dangerous because our feelings change.” People with conviction more often have grounded and wise advice.
4. You deliver help.
Our natural state is a state of selfishness. What percentage do you think of others compared to how often you think of yourself? People with conviction will think about and serve others People with weak conviction will only do it when it is convenient.
5. You discern right from wrong.
Finally, being a man of conviction means you seriously spend time considering whether what you are doing is right or wrong. People with weak convictions tend to wander into moral ambiguity and end up in a place they never thought they would be. They end up doing things they never thought they would do. Being a man of conviction means you determine where the lines are and then don’t cross it.
