Each of us has our own judge in our heads. Each of us knows exactly when we are doing right and when we are doing wrong. It’s called our conscience. Our conscience judges all our actions. 

This judge informs us immediately whether the actions we’re putting together are moral or immoral. It’s almost like your own witness who pats you on the shoulder when you do well, but when you do wrong, stands before you shaking its finger. 

However, the conscience in the first place quickly turns on the flashing red lights when wrong turns are taken. In some severe cases, a megaphone is used. 

So how come we do wrong things? Is our conscience asleep? Did it happen when our conscience took some time off or has our conscience perhaps left? 

If I understand the instruction 16Keep a clear conscience before God … well, it basically means that I myself play a role in whether my conscience is clean or not. You see, I can choose to listen or not when my conscience prevents me from saying or doing wrong. 

If my conscience suggests to me not to do what I am planning and I still do it, then I have defiled my conscience and then it’s dirty. Then my conscience doesn’t feel good and later that feeling spills over to me. 

I suspect part of our responsibility is not to turn our ears away from our conscience. Yes, sometimes we pretend to be deaf and do those things anyway, which we know to be wrong. And then our conscience is even dirtier. 

In addition to listening to our conscience, we must also ensure that it is maintained. Often, our conscience works like a direction indicator. It shows us the right path, so we don’t get lost in the world’s streets. 

If our conscience is not calibrated to the truth, it can give the wrong reading, with catastrophic consequences for us and the people around us.  

I remember how we calibrated the tractors and spray pumps on the farm before each spraying season. We considered the time it took the tractor to move over a 100m distance. We got soaked when we measured the amount of water sprayed in thirty seconds. 

Then we used a calculator to determine exactly how many kilograms of the spray had to be mixed in. If it is not accurate, it could be catastrophic for the crop. 

So, we must calibrate our conscience as well. For this, we actually only need one sum and that is the Word of God. When we regularly visit God’s Word, we maintain our conscience. Then our conscience is calibrated and knows exactly where right and wrong lie.  

When we then want to do wrong, our conscience kicks in and stops us. It guides us on the right path and, yes, sometimes the megaphone is used. 

Let’s allow our consciences to remain calibrated according to God’s Word. Let’s make sure that our ears are tuned exactly in that direction and do as He says. 

Scripture 
1 Peter 3:13-18

Reflection
What does your conscience look like?
Do you need to calibrate?
How can you always keep it clean? 

Prayer
Father, I know that sometimes I turn a deaf ear to my conscience. I also know that it needs a lot of calibration. Help me to study Your Word faithfully. Amen.