Word of the Day

The Value of Our Conscience
1 Timothy 1:18-19
The conscience is God's early warning system for alerting us to potential danger. It monitors our emotions, thought life, and conduct.
The way our conscience works is similar to a radar system, which notifies us of possible trouble, usually without specifically identifying the problem. The principles and standards that we hold to determine the sensitivity of our conscience. For example, if we believe lying is wrong, then an alarm will sound when we start to shade the truth. But if we think that lies are justifiable, it will be silent.
When programmed with the truth of God's Word, the conscience has great value for a Christian. It detects deviations from the Lord's standards and sends out a warning. The Holy Spirit uses that signal to get our attention. Then, He will reveal what the problem is, give us understanding about it, and show us the right choices to make. He will guide us to relevant Scripture verses that can shed light on our situation and point out the implications of a wrong choice.
Failure to heed our inner alarm can bring serious consequences. Adam and Eve knew what God expected (Gen. 2:15-17). However, when tempted, they ignored their conscience and sinned against Him.
When your conscience sounds the alarm, do you stop and take notice or continue on the same course? Repeatedly ignoring your internal compass can decrease its effectiveness at keeping you out of trouble. Ask God to help you program your inner alarm with His truth and sharpen your ability to hear it.