Do you have a clear conscience, or does it condemn you?
You’ve often heard the saying let your conscience be your guide, but what is your conscience and is it an accurate guide?
It’s believed that mankind’s conscience sets him apart from animals.
Animals have no conscience as they follow their instincts.
A lion doesn’t debate whether he will kill a buck or feel guilty about eating someone’s mother or brother.
Similar to instincts, you’ve learned to survive and operate within the society you live in.
Your conscience dictates how you should conduct yourself according to what you believe is correct, but it also depends on a few external factors.
So what is conscience?
It’s your sense of right or wrong, but it depends on your way of life, culture, beliefs and society.
How do you recognise your conscience?
It’s that small voice that never stops talking inside your head.
No, you’re not crazy.
Everybody hears voices. It sounds and talks like you.
If you hear something other than your voice, you have a problem.
Sometimes it doesn’t say anything when you’re in the wrong, but it feels like you have cringed inside.
How does it work?
Its primary function is to control your conduct according to what you believe is right or wrong.
It does this through:
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- Convicting you when you’ve done or said something wrong.
Notice conviction usually follows a guilty verdict. - Reproaching you when you are at fault.
This is either in the form of mild criticism or rebuke. - Confirming you’ve said or done the right thing.
- Gives evidence of what you’ve done, right or wrong.
This normally gives you sleepless nights when your conscience bugs you.
- Convicting you when you’ve done or said something wrong.
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Can you damage your conscience?
I’ve watched several documentaries about life in prison and its inmates.
Did they just become criminals, or was it a result of society, circumstances or decisions?
Some of the parents interviewed did their best to provide for their children, keep them on the straight and narrow, and had high hopes for them.
Their children knew what was right and wrong and the consequences of their actions.
Many inmates adopted new ideals to help them survive by living violent, deceptive and addicted lives.
Some serial killers admit that the first murder was the hardest but became easier as they stilled their voice of reason.
They seared their consciences.
What is the state of your conscience?
Try this simple test.
Do something that you know is wrong.
Does that small voice condemn you?
If it does, then your conscience is functioning the way it should.
How to keep your conscience clear.
Think of a time in your life when you were at peace with your conscience, and compare that to how you feel now.
Compare what you believe about life with your social standards or to the life of someone that inspires you.
Evaluate your standards against those found in spiritual books like the Bible and decide what you’d like to implement.
The good news is that a damaged conscience can be repaired.
Clear out the value systems which hurt you and restore the standards that bring you peace.
All it takes is a decision and a commitment to living with a clear conscience.
Conscience is like a sundial; if you let truth shine upon it, it will put you right. But you may cover it over so that no truth can fall upon it, or you may let false light gleam upon it and then it will lead you astray.
Hamilton Bower
Updated: April 2022
I Like your new look much friendlier read!! Thankfully I can also sleep where ever due having been
a mother!! Unfortunately our consciences are seared though life, and unless we choose to listen to that voice, it soon gets stilled into silence with our own decision to ignore it. Hence the need of a Savior and a book called the Bible to reinstate that conscience that has been stilled into submission
Hi Penny, I do agree as there is so much out there that tends to sear our conscience. The voice of reason coupled with our logic tends to still that voice of guidance which can really make our lives and decisions so much easier. The trick is to live in the system without letting the system control you.
The new look was needed having run on the old look since inception.
Thanks for the encouraging word.
I thought this was a very good post and makes a good point about working with a clear conscience. It really is important to have a good inner voice that is guiding us in the right direction. I had never thought about whether or not you could damage your conscience, but it does make perfect sense that sometimes you can stay too far and find yourself at a distance from your center and what you know deep down is right. Very interesting topic and post.
Hi Andre! When our actions are guided by love, our conscience is clear, In this case, regardless of how the act was receive by others, we know we had good intentions. A good way to stay in compliance loving actions is making sure everything we do towards others we would like done to us.
Thanks for this thoughtful post, my friend! Loving blessings!
Hi Sibyl.
So many of us seek advice when we need answers to problems that face us or circumstances that have knocked us down. We speak to everybody and look at everything for answers instead of being still and listening to that inner voice of conscience that we all have. It’s an infallible guide unless we’ve damaged it in some way through our thoughts and actions. If you then take it’s advice, you will land up in even hotter water.
Thanks for your comments.
Hi Andrea.
I couldn’t agree with you more that if you are guided by love then your conscience will be clear. God is love and He doesn’t make mistakes. He is the most accurate and unbiased guide you can get in my opinion. The golden rule is still gold even after all these years.
Here’s towards a love controlled conscience.
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