Devotionals

Contempt is Not Conviction

by Susan Barnes 
09/17/15
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"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." 2 Corinthians 7:10

One of the devil's strategies is to copy God's gifts. He will even try to copy the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but instead of it being true conviction it is actually contempt. Conviction means I have done something wrong but contempt means there is something wrong with me. It is when we say "I hate myself" instead of saying, "I hate what I have done". Sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking that we are being humble when we berate ourselves or that condemning ourselves will keep us from doing wrong in the future. But in reality contempt is the devil's counterfeit for true conviction.

Godly sorrow or conviction is intended to bring us to God to confess, repent and accept forgiveness. This is what God desires so we can find forgiveness and healing. Sometimes it is difficult to admit our need of God and it is tempting to condemn ourselves for our shortcoming instead of relying on the grace of God. However the alternative is contempt or worldly sorrow which leads to hating ourselves, poor self-worth and perhaps even depression. It is a dead end road and this verse calls it death.

Next time we are tempted to react with contempt, remember this isn't God's way. He doesn't want us hating ourselves. God's way is to confess our failures and receive the forgiveness and grace that he so freely offers.