Listening to the Voice of GodSýnishorn

DAY 3 – OUR CONSCIENCE: THE EAR-DRUM OF OUR HEART

REFLECTIONS :

Read Genesis 25:27-34 and take a moment to answer the following questions:

➤ According to the text, was Esau aware of what was important for God? 

➤ From what does our conscience need to be purified? 

CONTENT :

The conscience is a gift that God has placed inside every human being. Regardless of whether we know God or not, we have a conscience. However, when we have placed our trust in God, we discover that our conscience is refined and becomes more and more sensitive. But we also need to know that the conscience can be quieted or even turned off. Our conscience is influenced by the people whom we trust, as well as by our education, the value system, our society, etc. It is a means that God has given us so that we are able to know how to recognize what is good and bad (cf. Hebrews 13:18).

When we met Jesus, our conscience was purified and renewed (cf. Hebrews 10:22), our value scale changed, the Word of God became our reference, and the Kingdom of God our fundamental value. It is therefore important that we cultivate a permanent relationship with the Holy Spirit so that He can mold our conscience. There are important things for God that we tend to neglect and certain important things for us aren’t at all for God.  Esau had a strong conscience about his hunger. On the other hand, he had no conscience in regards to his birthright. That is what led him to accept to swap it for a plate of lentils, also exchanging a privilege that assured his future against something that bought immediate satisfaction (cf. Genesis 25:29-34). Our conscience must always remain centered on the future, with eternity in our line of sight. This will inspire us in our immediate choices by taking into consideration the future consequences because God is interested in our eternity above all else. Remember, what good would it be if we gain the whole world, but forfeit our soul? (cf. Matthew 16:26)

Sin obstructs our conscience, and so for example, the person who commits adultery in his thoughts and doesn’t allow God to rebuke them through their conscience will find excuses to think that it isn’t that bad and that it isn’t even a sin. This risks leading the person to the physical act of adultery because shutting down your conscience is opening the door to a sinful lifestyle. When someone shrugs off something that is serious in God’s eyes, it means that they are probably guilty themselves or ready to succumb to it. You probably know the story that says that if you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water it will immediately jump out, whereas if you put it in a pot of cold water and then you heat up the water, the frog will die without even trying to get out of the water. In the same way, sin, in the guise of tolerance, tries to make certain things seem normal, while in God’s eyes they are not… Let us always remember that God loves the sinner and that He gave Himself to free man from his sin. On the other hand, God hates sin. Our conscience needs to remain refined, thanks to our relationship with God so that we don’t fall into religiosity that condemns every little thing, nor into the trap of tolerance of humanism.

It is for this reason that we need to remain centered on Jesus and that our spirit is guided by the Holy Spirit because that is what will allow us to live in the fullness of God’s grace without falling into compromise. When our conscience rebukes us, the only true response is to repent, because this allows us to have a purified conscience, by giving us once more a true sensitivity to God’s voice.

Our conscience is never too sensitive and it is important to really know how to listen to it because it is the ear drum of our heart to be able to hear God’s voice. So take a moment with God and I encourage you before God to decide to listen and follow your conscience.

MY DECISION:

➤ What I have understood for my own personal life: 

➤ What I am deciding to do in my life based upon what I have just learned: 

➤ What you decide to do today will determine who and what you will be tomorrow!

Adapted from "un disciple en marche" copyright 2018 by Luc Favre, published by Vie Victorieuse. All rights reserved.