Meet Casey Heathcott

Imagine going into your garage, opening the driver’s door to your car, and finding the Holy Spirit sitting in your driver’s seat, hands on the wheel. He tells you to get in. But you’ve got your agenda—errands to run, places to go, people to see. Do you turn around and find the nearest public transportation around you? Call a taxi? Or, do you hop in the passenger seat and ask Him to give it some gas?

Giving the steering wheel to God in my life is a constant battle. I like being in the driver’s seat. I’ve got my presets on the radio, the air temperature just to my liking, and the seat and mirrors adjusted perfectly for ME. It’s comfortable. 

Today’s Scripture tells us that the Spirit will convict us and guide us into all truth. That’s a promise. At first (second, third, etc.), conviction is a terrible feeling. You may find yourself asking God, “Really? You really want that part of my life, too?” Yes, He does! He calls us to be fully devoted followers of Him. While conviction isn’t a great initial feeling, we must trust in Him and have faith that He has something better for us on the other side. He convicts us because He loves us so much.

There is freedom in Christ. To let the Spirit work through us, however, we must release our control, get out of our comfortable driver’s seat, and allow Him to work through us. Conviction doesn’t often come when we’re not reading the Word, meditating, praying earnestly, or having fellowship in community. So how do we allow Him to convict us and be filled by Him? The aforementioned spiritual disciplines are great sources that the Holy Spirit uses for conviction. 

Responding to conviction takes community, prayer, Scriptures, and obedience. I’ll be the first one to tell you that I usually don’t have great godly advice for people. That’s when my community group and fellow Christians play an important role in helping me grow through the Spirit’s conviction.