Conviction isn't always a dirty word...

When people speak of conviction in the secular world it usually refers to the result the court's decision regarding a crime committed. Much the same in the Christian world, God uses His Holy Spirit to convict us when we have committed or are currently committing a crime against God (i.e. sin).

For the past few months God has been revealing several of crimes to me most of which will remain unnamed. Most recently God has been showing me that my time is something that should not be taken for granted. The bible tells us that we know not the hour. We are not promised tomorrow, so we must make every minute of TODAY count!

I’m not saying that we all need to run out and get started on our Bucket List, but I think we all, myself included, need to reevaluate our time. There are 24 hrs in a day, and on any given day I sleep for at least 8 of them. Also, on any given day M-F, I prepare for work, commute to and from work, and am at work for at least 9 of them. That leaves 7 hrs unaccounted. Where have my other 7 hrs gone? Granted the 8 hrs of sleep is combined overnight, but I think you see my point. Even rounding down to say 4 hrs, where is it? What did I do with it? More importantly, did I make it count? I’ll never get that time back.

Pastor Zack, @pastorxac to his tweeps, spoke about this a few weeks ago and provided us a schedule to fill out to account for our time. Granted, he was referring to us taking time for priorities: God, family, ministry, and work in that order, but for the most part it seemed he talked about family time. So I admit, I tuned it out. Sorry Zack. Then the next week he asked me if I had filled out my schedule, and I thought, “Why are you asking me? I don’t even have a live-in family?” I said, “Not yet, but I will,” even though I really didn’t have any intentions on rushing home to do it. Again, sorry Zack.

So God, in all His wonder, has been slowly showing me that just because Zack emphasized Family Time, doesn’t mean that was the only thing for me to take from his teaching. The first priority is GOD. So how have I spent time with God lately? Hmm…well…insert crickets chirping…DING DING DING! CONVICTION! And the blows just keep on comin.

So after I realized in my EUREKA moment, what God was trying to say, He started flooding things in to my mind about what I could change about how I spend my time. Most of you know my desire to be married, and that God has promised me that I will marry again. But most of you, if you have been around me longer than five minutes, know how impatient I am. This is just how cool God is…are you ready for this?

God told me I need to be doing more for Him NOW. I don’t need to wait on a Godly man to come rescue me and ride me off to Pastor Nick to get hitched. HE said, “Do you realize how much you could be doing for me while you DON’T have to take time out for family?

“Look at Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, and was the first to preach salvation for the Gentiles, and who turned the world upside down by opening our eyes to the truth of Christ. Do you think he would have been able to accomplish all that with a wife and kids? If I called him to do so, sure he could, but it would have been much more difficult. So what could you be doing right now? How many lives could change? You need to take advantage of your family free time! Then when you have accomplished my will, you will be rewarded”

…AND that was a GIANT K.O. for God, and a GIGANTIC body slam for Ashleigh.

Do I like being single? No. Do I think my reward will be a husband? I don’t know. Do I know that whatever reward God gives me will be worth the effort? ABSOLUTELY.

So look out world, here I come!

I don’t know who or what will change, but I guarantee that I won’t be the same!