Convicted

Convicted.  That is the feeling I have in my heart.  Conviction is the basis for my “why” when I thought of starting this blog.  The Lord has pressed on my heart to be more outspoken with my thoughts, knowing that some people have really benefited from my perspectives over the years.  I have been called to be bold with my faith and my beliefs.

I used to worry about offending people, not speaking about God too loudly, if you know what I mean.  But over the last couple of years I have realized that the only one I need to worry about offending is God!  He alone will judge me, and He alone can save me.  When I think about the day that I meet our Lord, all I can think is how disappointed He would be if I told Him, “Well, I didn’t always proclaim your glory because they weren’t Christian, and I didn’t want them to be mad at me or not like me.”  Uh… no.  That will not sit well with our Lord.  He wants so badly to be our whole desire and our whole purpose!

Over time, I have been more outspoken on social media about my beliefs, and how great our God is, but there was still something missing.  It was as if I had all these feelings and discoveries when I would learn something new, and I just wanted to get them out!  That brings us here.  To Jesus And Oils.  A blog created to share my faith and what works for me, my family and the most important people to me, and essential oils and the impact they have had on both.  Let me say right now, I have not read the whole bible and I do not proclaim to know all about it.  I have not read 90% of the bible, and this is as much for my spiritual growth as it is to share the love of Christ with someone else.  I hope this journey will bless us both.

In preparing to write this first post, I decided to do open my bible last night, and I turned to the book of Acts.  I know Acts is about the church growing in the early stages, and I thought that was appropriate since I was embarking on this journey to share about Jesus.

I turned to Acts 4 and read about how Peter and John were jailed for healing someone.  They were asked how they did this, and filled with the Holy Spirit they boldly proclaimed that it was in the name of Jesus.  A bit later they were commanded by the leaders, the law, not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus any longer.  They responded with the best response!  This rocked my world last night!  Their response was, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.”  This is what I have been struggling with for years!  This was the best ‘light bulb’ moment!  Who should I obey?  Should I obey society, and what it says is appropriate or politically correct?  Should I obey the love I have for my friends that are choosing a life of sin, but I don’t want to say anything because I love them dearly?  Or should I just OBEY GOD?  Let the cards fall where they may, and speak the TRUTH that I know in my heart!  That was it; that was the conviction I have felt for so long!

Peter and John were let go, and they told their followers about what had happened.  Then they all prayed together, and they prayed specifically for the Lord to “enable your servants (themselves) to speak your word with great boldness…through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”  And do you know what God did?  He answered their prayer instantly!  The ground shook, and they were all “filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

Boldness.  That is what they asked for and it was given to them.  Have you asked for God to give you the gift of the Holy Spirit, to let that Spirit reside in your heart?  Have you asked for courage to be bold in your words?  I have, and I did again last night.  I am reminded that our Lord wants so much for us to be devoted to him, that no fear of the world and the people in it could stop our love for him.  Proclamation is a huge symbol of love.  That’s why there are witnesses at weddings when you proclaim your love for your spouse.  That’s why we often hear people say they want to shout from the mountain tops their love for their beloved.  So that boldness, that courage to proclaim to everyone and anyone that will listen, that is what we should be striving for with God, that is where our hearts as Christians should be focused.  Am I going to lose a few friends along the way?  Possibly, though I hope not.  But will it be worth it in the end when I am in the presence of our Heavenly Father?  Of course it will!  Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

So now I ask you, are you going to be bold in your faith?  Are you going to follow your calling?  Will you listen to your heart when the Lord places conviction over you?  I will.  I am going to try my hardest.  I am going to speak the truth of the Lord, and the truth of my life, and I am going to BOLDLY acknowledge my Father before men.

I hope that you follow your truth as well.