I had a great reminder about right living the other day when we were running late to get Ethan to school. I had about five-minutes to get him there before he would be counted as tardy and I was sweatin’ it.
Since we were running late, I was pushing the envelope as to how far I should maneuver my Toyota through the daily obstacle course of other parents in the same predicament. About half way there, I reached down and patted my pocket, realizing that in my rush to get out of the house, I left my wallet at home. IMMEDIATELY, I slowed down, became more aware of my surroundings, and did my best to get Ethan to school without breaking any driving laws or getting into an accident.
I found it strange that I was willing to drive more maniacally when I thought my license was in my pocket. It was almost as though I thought that little card could justify my driving, when in reality, I knew wrong was wrong. If I had been pulled over for speeding, Ethan would have been late. If we had been involved in an accident, Ethan would have been late at best. I experienced that strange sensation of butterflies in my stomach, knowing I had been in the wrong. This feeling – a strong indicator of my conscience kicking in – helped me know I needed to get back to safe driving! My conscience was telling me to watch what I was doing and be more careful when in reality this is how I should have been behaving all along.
It’s amazing how easily we throw caution to the wind when we think it benefits us. We ease into our own isolated bubble either feeling we’re invincible or oblivious to others. Whether it’s aggressive driving or unwise living, we cannot afford to live as though we are the only ones in this world. This is frankly contrary to how God wants us to live. God wants us to always be aware of others and live in such a way that is consistent with what we say we believe. Our conscience, therefore, helps us avoid compromising situations and lets us know when we’re off the narrow path as we slip.
As Christians, we believe that when we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. The Holy Spirit then informs and transforms our conscience so we can live for God and know when we stray from Him. It is even more important to listen to our conscience then, because it is the power of God within us, helping us to live for Him.
The good news is that with God’s grace, we have the opportunity to turn away from our inconsistent and sinful behavior to return to Him. It’s never too late to turn back to God thanks to Jesus Christ and the confidence we have in God and His amazing grace! God is always willing to welcome us back.
We must be very careful not to take advantage of this, however. There are people in this world who behave however they want with little regard for anyone else and just turn to God when things go badly. Just as in my case, a driver’s license doesn’t provide me license to drive aggressively. God’s forgiving grace doesn’t give us license to behave however we want. The key is to realize God wants us to strive to live right all the time, shining with the glory of His love. It’s because of His love, though, that even when we fall short, we can return to Him and know that there is no condemnation thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The Scriptures tell us this, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 22.21-23, emphasis mine)
God does love you! God is faithful! God wants you in His family! If you aren’t living that way, listen to your conscience. It will let you know what you’re off course and it will help you get back on the right track.
Since we were running late, I was pushing the envelope as to how far I should maneuver my Toyota through the daily obstacle course of other parents in the same predicament. About half way there, I reached down and patted my pocket, realizing that in my rush to get out of the house, I left my wallet at home. IMMEDIATELY, I slowed down, became more aware of my surroundings, and did my best to get Ethan to school without breaking any driving laws or getting into an accident.
I found it strange that I was willing to drive more maniacally when I thought my license was in my pocket. It was almost as though I thought that little card could justify my driving, when in reality, I knew wrong was wrong. If I had been pulled over for speeding, Ethan would have been late. If we had been involved in an accident, Ethan would have been late at best. I experienced that strange sensation of butterflies in my stomach, knowing I had been in the wrong. This feeling – a strong indicator of my conscience kicking in – helped me know I needed to get back to safe driving! My conscience was telling me to watch what I was doing and be more careful when in reality this is how I should have been behaving all along.
It’s amazing how easily we throw caution to the wind when we think it benefits us. We ease into our own isolated bubble either feeling we’re invincible or oblivious to others. Whether it’s aggressive driving or unwise living, we cannot afford to live as though we are the only ones in this world. This is frankly contrary to how God wants us to live. God wants us to always be aware of others and live in such a way that is consistent with what we say we believe. Our conscience, therefore, helps us avoid compromising situations and lets us know when we’re off the narrow path as we slip.
As Christians, we believe that when we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. The Holy Spirit then informs and transforms our conscience so we can live for God and know when we stray from Him. It is even more important to listen to our conscience then, because it is the power of God within us, helping us to live for Him.
The good news is that with God’s grace, we have the opportunity to turn away from our inconsistent and sinful behavior to return to Him. It’s never too late to turn back to God thanks to Jesus Christ and the confidence we have in God and His amazing grace! God is always willing to welcome us back.
We must be very careful not to take advantage of this, however. There are people in this world who behave however they want with little regard for anyone else and just turn to God when things go badly. Just as in my case, a driver’s license doesn’t provide me license to drive aggressively. God’s forgiving grace doesn’t give us license to behave however we want. The key is to realize God wants us to strive to live right all the time, shining with the glory of His love. It’s because of His love, though, that even when we fall short, we can return to Him and know that there is no condemnation thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The Scriptures tell us this, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 22.21-23, emphasis mine)
God does love you! God is faithful! God wants you in His family! If you aren’t living that way, listen to your conscience. It will let you know what you’re off course and it will help you get back on the right track.
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