Command 24 : Hear God's Voice | Day 166 Be Attentive to Your Conscience!One morning as I was getting ready for school, I thought, "It sure would be nice to have some extra money to buy some things I need." Suddenly the phone rang, and I heard the voice of a man ask, "Is there somebody there who would like to earn a little extra money?" I quickly responded, "Yes! Me." It was as if he had heard my thoughts! Even though I felt a slight hesitation in my spirit, I asked for more information about his "opportunity." He said, "I can't explain it over the phone." This caused the "voice" of my conscience to grow stronger, but so did my curiosity. I reasoned, "How could something that seemed to be God's provision be wrong?" Pushing aside my cautions, I agreed to meet with him. One of the first indications that our consciences have spoken is our immediate attempt to justify and explain away the cautions they have raised. When we met, he described the impressive growth of the vending machine industry and how his company had placed vending machines in nearby locations and was looking for people to keep them filled and cleaned. It sounded easy enough and quite profitable. He then showed me how much more money I could make if I would actually buy the machine. After explaining that I didn't have money to buy it and had a conviction against borrowing money, he convinced me to use my Ford convertible as collateral. With papers signed, I went to see my new vending machine. It was at a dingy gas station miles away from my home. When I asked the owner where it was, he said with disgust, "Over there in the corner," and added, "Will you please get that piece of junk out of here!" I looked with amazement at a dinky metal box on a stand and knew immediately that there was no chance of putting this "vending machine" anywhere except in my garage. There would be plenty of room for it without my car! God uses our consciences to protect us from the pain and heartache of wrong decisions. Every person has the Law of God written on his heart, which provides the basis from which his conscience can warn, reprove, and convict him of sin. For believers, the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in their spirits, further cultivates this sensitivity to right and wrong. (See Romans 2:15 and John 16:7-8, 13.) Ignoring the promptings of the conscience brings a sense of guilt. We must be careful not to defile or sear our consciences by rationalizing away cautions. I have heard many men explain how they lost huge amounts of money by ignoring the promptings of their consciences. As I listen to their stories I see the same pattern that took place in my life when I lost my car. Scripture appeals to us to exercise our senses to discern right and wrong. As we do this, we can grow in maturity and in the ability to understand the deeper truths of God's Word. (See Hebrews 5:12-14.) Now would be an excellent time to evaluate whether or not your conscience is trying to send you any messages. There may still be time to heed the warnings! |
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