Conscience Tending
Pastor Randy Corbin, Transitional Lead Pastor
| The first time I did it, it haunted me all day long. The second time, it did not bother me quite as much. And, by the fifth time, I had the routine down well enough, I did it mechanically without much thought at all. You see I loved Skybars and I just couldn’t convince my parents to buy them often enough for me. I still remember the day when the light turned on. My parents would buy a few groceries at the country store near our home and simply said, “charge it,” and walked out the door. So, the seed germinated into a full blown plot. Instead of going to a friend’s house, I picked my way to the general store and then, looking around, I stealthily entered. And, there they were – those lovely Skybars. Palms sweaty and voice quivering, I looked up at the clerk and said, “Skybar, please.” And, like magic it was in my hand. “Randy,” the voice came, “that will be 5 cents.” Now came the test. “Charge it,” I responded. “OK” was the reply and I was out the door unwrapping the sugary delight and determining which part to eat first. Day after day I repeated the venture. And, yes, I did eventually get caught. It came to a painful end – no pun intended. I am afraid, however, that was not the last time, I have allowed repeated sin into my life, feeling discomfort at first but after some rationalization and repeat performances, the action left me with little unrest. We all know that conscience is a gift from God but if we mistreat it, it becomes dulled and is unable to keep us living out of the sin bypath. So, the call is to live with short accounts with the Heavenly Father and to quickly turn from wrong and to immediately choose obedience. If not, like Pharaoh of old, we get a hard heart and then we wonder why God is not blessing with the fruit of the Spirit. There is something to be said for an extended period of waiting upon God to shine His light on our lives while we open every closet door and room to determine if there are some offenses which are grieving God and hindering the full blessing and power of God in our lives and ministries. Next Wednesday, February 26, begins the “Lenten” season. Many will celebrate it through special prayer emphases, some level of fasting, or special foci, while others will just breeze through it with little thought. Would it not be good to take the opportunity to invite the searching ministry of the Spirit to find out if we have gotten ourselves into some thinking or acting patterns that have hardened our hearts to the point that a certain lifestyle, practice, attitude, or neglect which we presently deem as acceptable has, in fact, polluted our hearts and is therefore blinding us to blessing and deafening us to the voice of God? No quick prayer or soul searching is enough. A fair search takes time – perhaps hours, days, or weeks. So during these special forty days, why not join me in inviting the Spirit, “Search me, Oh God, and see if there be any wicked way in me?” Thanks for teaming with me in this soul-cleansing search! |
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