Crutch or Compass?
Faith of Convenience vs. Faith of Conviction
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on my own walk with Christ, not someone else’s faith, not the church, not our culture. Mine.
And I’ve been asking myself some uncomfortable questions:
Is my faith truly directing how I live, or has it sometimes become more of a crutch than a compass? More of a status than a standard?
Faith is easy when it’s popular. It is easy when you’re surrounded by a thousand other believers, hands raised, music playing, and everyone is declaring the same truth.
Faith is easy when prayers are answered the way we hoped, our family is healthy, relationships are good, doors are opening, and life seems to be going our way.
But what happens when faith becomes inconvenient? When following Christ means forgiving someone who hurt us? Loving someone we disagree with? Serving when nobody notices? Trusting when God says wait, no, or simply doesn’t explain why?
That’s when faith moves from convenience to conviction.
Jesus didn’t simply ask us to identify with Him. He asked us to follow Him.
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” – Luke 9:23
Daily. Following Jesus isn’t just a Sunday thing. It’s a Monday morning thing.
It’s how we speak when we’re frustrated. When nobody is watching, how do we treat people. How do we respond when we’re offended. Do we behave online. How we treat someone who can do absolutely nothing for us.
And yes, it’s how we treat people who don’t believe, vote, think, live, or look like we do. Jesus never made agreement a prerequisite for love. Conviction does not require cruelty. Truth does not require arrogance. Disagreement does not give us permission to withhold love.
Jesus said people would know we are His disciples by our love (John 13:35).
That challenges me. Because I don’t want a faith that simply makes me look like a Christian. I want a faith that continually makes me more like Christ. A faith that corrects me when I’m wrong. Softens me when I’m becoming hard. Leads me to forgive, serve, give, apologize, and love…even when it costs me something.
Because a compass doesn’t simply affirm whatever direction we’ve chosen. It redirects us when we’re heading the wrong way.
So perhaps the question isn’t simply, “Do I have faith?”
Maybe it’s:
Is my faith actually leading me?
I don’t want a faith of convenience.
I want a faith of conviction: a faith that isn’t merely my crutch when life gets hard, but my compass every single day.
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Camille Adams is the Volunteer Outreach Specialist for Echoing Hills – a nonprofit ministry whose purpose is to create opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to know and experience Jesus Christ.
When not creating partnerships between volunteers (https://ehvi.org/get-involved/serve/) and Echoing Hills, Camille enjoys writing songs and books, painting, drawing, and dabbling in photography.
