Fortifying our Convictions

by: Atty. Carolina Lim-Gamban

Many of us dream of a Bagong Pilipinas, a new Philippines. A new Philippines where the service is excellent, governed by leaders of unmarred integrity and selflessness, and its citizens with passionate hearts for the nation and the nation’s great future. It is said in the Holy Scriptures that a new wine needs a new wineskin. To wit, “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.” This is also true if we are to have a new Philippines. Leaders and their citizens must also be new – having a new mindset and new attitude. Part of this new attitude should be a strong conviction in everything that we do or decide to do. A seared conscience having no convictions at all will always be continuously swayed and changing, open to attacks, and is like a shifting shadow. Without strong convictions, we can easily get defocused from the goal, get confused with what we are standing for, and get compromised thereby weakening our standards. It is then imperative that we strengthen our convictions if we want a new Philippines.
 
Here are some recommendations to strengthen your convictions:
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1. Make an inventory of your principles and what you firmly believe in and align these to what is true, right, honorable, just, commendable, and praiseworthy.  What are our principles and what do we stand for? Start with what you have and anchor these on the truth so that it will stand firm and unshakeable. During the time of Daniel, he purposed in his heart not to be defiled by what the foreigners would offer him. He firmly believed that his physical body would be better if he ate vegetables as food and water as a drink. He did not drink the wine and partake of the meat he was given him. Aside from this, he was firm not to bow before other gods but only to the One True God. He was steadfast and was vocal about what he believed, and unmoved by the consequences because he knew that his principles were aligned with what was true.
2. Let our principles be guided by the Holy Scriptures, the moral compass, the laws, the rules, and regulations, and evaluate our decisions according to these set of standards. Principles that have no anchor or basis are doomed to crumble down and be forgotten because it has no firm foundation. The Holy Scriptures contain teachings and principles that lasted for generations, are tried and tested, and are even applicable up to the present. During the temptation of Jesus Christ, he held on to what was written in the Holy Scriptures and countered the deception of the evil one. He mentioned, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” And, “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” What was written is an important basis so we will not be shaken nor be swayed. In the workplace, we are guided by the laws, rules, and regulations on how we should conduct ourselves. Taking this to heart, we can be sure that when a temptation for bribery or corruption comes, we cannot be persuaded because we are firm not to take part of what is illegal and what is dishonorable. Our values and high regard for the Holy Scriptures shall serve as our moral compass not to participate in anything immoral and unethical.
3. Have a deep self-reflection and analysis at the instant you feel you have committed a compromise. Constant self-reflection and analysis will reveal to us if we have compromised our principles or have done something contrary to our convictions. When Job’s life seemed to be crumbling, he immediately examined what he had done wrong. He constantly asked God what he did wrong. He did not play the blame game as many of us would do when confronted by challenging times. At work, we sometimes blame our boss, our coworkers, or our direct reports when things don’t seem to go our way. Only a few take the time to reflect on what they have possibly done wrong and what caused the problem.
4. Quickly rectify any mistake or realign any deviation from your convictions.  When you think you have compromised, immediately act on it and do not delay. Do not just shake it off or else it will lead you to more compromises until your heart and conscience are seared and then callousness will set in. King David was one of the great leaders of the past but because of his deep desire to have Bathsheba, he orchestrated the murder of her husband. There may be times when we may be blinded by our deepest desires and do things that are contrary to what we stand for but a constant check on our decisions and actions will keep us back on the right track. When David was rebuked by the prophet Nathan, he repented and sought his way back to God. It is important to rectify any mistake or realign any deviation so that our integrity is intact, and we cannot be shut down or hindered by past mistakes. Our conscience is free, and we are free to express our convictions when circumstances challenge what we believe.

 
Having strong convictions will tell people who we are and what we are made of. If as a people we have strong convictions, we can be formidable people. If that happens, there will be no doubt that we can have a new Philippines.