Does your conscience need healing?

Whether we admit it or not, we all are influenced in one way or another by our conscience.

It’s our built-in sensor that seeks to prevent us from acting or speaking in a way that goes against our values and principles.

Our conscience is something we all are born with, even though is an imperfect tool in our imperfect bodies.

This week at the week-long CMS Summer School conference, the speaker Gary Miller highlighted four problems that can affect our consciences.

Firstly, we can have a seared conscience (1 Timothy 4:2). It doesn’t work very well anymore because it’s stopped being able to feel properly, having been damaged by neglect, like hard skin on the soul of our feet that stops the pain of stepping on sharp rocks or hot bitumen.

Secondly, we can have a defiled conscience (Titus 1:15). It doesn’t work very well anymore because it no longer notices sinful and unholy things, having been desensitised by viewing and performing all sorts of sins. It’s like when a person watches so many horror movies that they stop being shocked by the violence.

Thirdly, we can have a weak conscience (1 Corinthians 8:7). It doesn’t work very well because it may over-react to things, being misinformed by false teaching. It’s like when someone takes offence at something that the Bible teaches to be mostly harmless.

And finally, we can have an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22). It doesn’t work well because it has been reprogrammed to do the opposite for which it was intended. Instead of alerting us about evil, it now encourages us to pursue sinful acts.

In response, Gary encouraged us from God’s word to re-awaken and heal our conscience.

In answer to our prayers, God’s Spirit can restore our seared, defiled, weak and evil consciences, and give us the gift of being able to recognise and avoid sin when we’re tempted.

Will you pray with me that God will heal and re-awaken our consciences?

JODIE McNEILL