“My conscience is bothering me.” I’ve said it and heard others say it, but what exactly does it mean? I believe God has created within us…programmed us…a sense of right and wrong. When we’re doing right, our conscience makes us feel good, but when we’re involved in actions contrary to God’s will, our conscience bothers us. So the conscience is that element in our makeup through which God’s Holy Spirit works to let us know we’re on track or off track. Living with a clear conscience is God’s desire and plan for us and is the key to a happy existence and successful Christian walk. But how does it happen?
We Must Be Fessed Up
He couldn’t believe it, but they were staring him in the face…A’s. He’d never seen anything like it.
As his father’s car crawled into the driveway, he could hardly contain himself. With a smile the size of Texas, he proudly shoved it into his father’s hand. Dad bragged to everyone about his son and even rewarded him with a brand new bicycle.
But the young boy wouldn’t ride his bike. Guilt over the farce he was living kept him grounded. His teacher had mistakenly recorded all A’s on his report card, but he hadn’t told his dad. He was embarrassed and assumed his father would be ashamed of him. Running away was his only conceivable outlet. When his dad finally caught him, the confession was mutual…Dad for making him feel he must be perfect to be loved and son for not acknowledging the mistake.
Confession is necessary for clear consciences as Paul notes and the psalmist affirms. Timothy, I thank God for you. He is the God I serve with a clear conscience (II Timothy 1:3 NLT). If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened (Psalm 66:18 NLT).
Confession of sin is good for the soul but yields different results for believers and unbelievers. Failure to ever repent is unpardonable and leads to eternal separation from God. Daily confession follows repentance and is a lifelong exercise since repentance doesn’t perfect us. Living in a sinful world soils us with known and unknown sins. Confession eliminates the dirt these produce and restores an open line of communication with God. It’s an expression of our desire to live as God desires and a recognition that sin affronts the holy God we serve. As the little boy and his dad’s relationship was affected by the lie he was living, so sin hinders the spiritual progress God desires we make.
Forgive
“No! I don’t want to forgive ______!” he seethed. Sure, he believed in forgiving, but not this person…never.
*Craig Groeschel was bitter after learning a family friend had molested his sister. He had been his sister’s sixth-grade teacher, but behind the façade was a sick man who abused numerous girls. Groeschel wanted him to die and burn in hell. But the preacher’s message and God’s Word convicted him otherwise.
Groeschel began the road to forgiveness by praying for the offender. Eventually, he asked God to help him forgive. By the time he wrote a letter expressing his forgiveness, the man was dying and under hospice care. Months later, a nurse contacted Groeschel and told of how she read the letter to the dying man and listened as he asked God’s forgiveness.
Forgiveness isn’t easy-and I’ve struggled with it more than once, but it’s necessary for a clear conscience. He is the God I serve with a clear conscience (II Timothy 1:3 NLT). And forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us (Matthew 6:12 NLT).
Unforgiveness breeds bitterness and anger and can birth emotional and physical illness. It also divides our mind. God is perched on one shoulder shouting “Forgive” while Satan is crouched on the opposite roaring, “Hate.”
Forgiveness is releasing someone from a debt they owe us for an offense they’ve committed. It should be immediate and continuous. Some offenses slice so deep, we have to forgive more than once. Forgiving doesn’t necessarily mean we have to re-establish ties with the offender, but we let go of the anger, bitterness, and hate. More importantly, forgiving heals our relationship with God. Unforgiveness creates static that prevents us from hearing God clearly and him from using us fully.
*(Groeschel, Craig. The Christian Atheist, 113-121.)
Put First Things First
Perhaps she wasn’t my first case of puppy love, but she’s the first I remember fawning over and daydreaming about.
Dad was preaching at a small town church in Low Country South Carolina. I was approaching my teen years…not particularly looking for love but not running from it either. As normal, he stayed just long enough for me to make a few friends...Cathy among them. I didn’t pay her much attention while living there, but once we moved…Ouch…the love bug nibbled. Before long, I was writing her endearing letters and driving twenty-five miles to court her. Our romance didn’t last long, but at the time she had my attention and my heart.
Serving God with a clear conscience gives God the same. When an expert in religious law questioned Jesus about which was God’s most important commandment, Jesus replied, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 NLT).
I’ve discovered putting first things first spiritually often conflicts with my pre-arranged priority list and involves rearranging my schedule to fit God’s. Left to myself, I will…although unconsciously…leave God completely out of my agenda. Or if I include him, put him somewhere in the evening hours after the most pressing and urgent matters are attended to. Living the good life entails operating according to God’s standards not mine-although hopefully they’re similar. Loving God immeasurably will alter my attitudes, actions, and priorities. God’s goals for me will come first, and when I pursue them the needs of others will become important to me as well. Let God help you put first things first.
Be Disciplined to Discipline
Dad was a master disciplinarian with a large repertoire of maneuvers. Among them, his favorite…a haircut.
I was a baldheaded child, and as I surpass mid-life I am reliving my childhood. But there was a time when I could grow hair…more than my father was comfortable with. If I wanted to fit in, I had little choice. I was a child of the seventies and the hippie generation. Though my hair never crept below my shoulders, it snuggled near them…until I infringed upon one of Dad’s critical rules. Then I was conveyed to the place I despised-the barbershop.
Dad disciplined because I needed discipline. His discipline also helped clear my conscience. According to the writer of Hebrews, his audience was also undisciplined. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word (Hebrews 5:12 NLT).
Our sinful nature makes God’s discipline critical. Effective spiritual disciplines help reign in our bent to be bad like the threat of a haircut made me consider unwise behavior before I engaged it. Communion with God disciplines us toward obedience. Had Adam and Eve waited until evening to consult with God before eating the forbidden fruit, life would have changed for them and us. The story is old, but there’s nothing better to replace it with. Healthy spiritual disciplines include regular prayer, consistent Bible study, active listening to God’s Spirit, collective worship, and regular association with others who share our faith. These disciplines won’t make us perfect, but forays into rebellion are less likely when they’re a customary part of our day. Are there disciplines you need more discipline in?
Give Until It Hurts
Finances going south and a pressing question: should I keep giving to God, cut back, or cut it out entirely.
I was always taught you couldn’t outgive God, but what about when giving means an unpaid bill, a missed meal, an empty gas tank, or insufficient funds for the children’s lunches? Can I hold back then?
These were situations I dealt with when employment was lost and two incomes suddenly contracted into one. And the one was less than half of the previous. Something or someone was going to miss out if I gave…or gave as much as I knew I should. Doubt and anxiety reigned, and I chose to skimp on God. Not completely but enough for him to demonstrate what lack of trust can do…dry up what little I kept back.
Cheating God out of what belongs to him clouds the conscience. Paul taught liberal giving, and Malachi challenged God’s people to do the same. “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies…, I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! (Malachi 3:10 NLT)
Giving liberally, regularly, and joyfully of my time, money and talents recognizes God’s ownership of everything I have. He’s made it possible for me to collect every possession I own in trust. Giving with these attitudes recognizes his authority over every area of my life. Rebellion against authority is common, but rebelling against God’s authority is foolish. Through my giving-in whatever form it takes, I submit to Christ’s lordship and enjoy his blessings. If life’s curves have caused you to give up on giving to God, recommit to returning a portion to him and watch him open the floodgates of heaven.
Serve With Sincerity
I was serving, but deep inside my motives were tainted.
Fresh out of college and pastoring my very first church, I was eager to impress…someone…anyone. So began my journey for recognition. In addition to pastoring and teaching full time, I directed a department in our local church association, worked on my Master’s, and volunteered with local literary associations. To say my plate was full is an understatement.
My efforts were cloaked under the disguise of living out my faith, but I was mostly serving self. I craved advancement in my denomination along with name recognition. To a degree, I accomplished my purpose, but “praying on the street corner” retrieved recognition only from others, not God.
Serving God with a clear conscience involves motives. Jesus warned, When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners…where everyone can see them (Matthew 6:5 NLT).
Jesus was hounded and surrounded by religious elite who bragged about their accolades and reveled in their righteousness. But their motives for serving God and others were corrupted by a self seeking attitude. They fancied acknowledgement, praise, and rewards from others. And others gave it, but God didn’t.
Why we do something is as important as what we do. Our acts of service may benefit others, but God peeks beneath the veneer, examines our motives, and judges accordingly. Amount given doesn’t necessarily equal credit received in God’s book of records. Our giving and service should emerge from appreciation over what God has done for us. When it does, our service will be more enjoyable, the inner turmoil will vanish, and God will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Are you serving with sincerity?
