Thinking back years ago at about 7 years of age, I remember that there was an argument between my neighbor and some other guy outside our house. At this time my neighbor was gang affiliated and I thought that was “cool”. As the argument progressed and almost turned into a full-on fight, I began to throw out foul words toward the other guy he was arguing with. At the time I didn’t see anything wrong it, until my mother heard and called me inside. At that moment the realization of the wrong I had done was clear as day. My mom had put a hot pepper in my mouth and told me to bite it. She told me to never speak that foul language again. That moment changed me forever, from that day forward you best believe I thought twice before letting out a bad word again. It would have been a lot different if my mom would have applauded me for that action, it would have made me think that speaking foul words was okay. If you didn’t know this, part of the work of the Holy Spirit is not only to bring comfort but also conviction when we sin. In John 16:7-8 it says, “7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:” The conviction from the Holy Spirit is important because it tells us when our actions do not line up with the commands of God/ Word of God. If we look at the times we are living in, there are many who only want to be encouraged, comforted, etc. While that is important and part of the work of the Holy Spirit it can be dangerous to deny the conviction of the Holy Spirit because then we would be denying Christ himself and the words he spoke. In 2 Timothy 3:16 it says, “16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”. Have you ever heard someone share God’s word and feel convicted to the core? Your first instinct might be to run and hide, that’s what Adam and Eve did when they sinned! While conviction can often be uncomfortable, we must understand the purpose of it. When God’s convicts us of sin, it is because he loves us and wants to give us the opportunity to repent, the chance to recognize that we did wrong and turn from it. When people fall into sin and get convicted, they often will feel ashamed and run. They no longer want to go to church, pray, or read the bible because of feelings of condemnation, shame, or unworthiness. But what God wants is for us to humble ourselves, recognize our wrongs, repent and turn to him. In Hebrews 4:16, it says “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” When we recognize our wrongs, turn from our sin and approach him in humility we will find mercy and grace. In conclusion, in order for us to find mercy we must embrace conviction and not run from it, trust that he is good and forgives us despite our failures.