[158 words]
My Cherokee grandmother used to say that there is a very sharp, triangular-shaped stone inside your heart. Every time you do something that violates your conscience, that stone turns a little and makes a small, very painful cut in your heart. However, if you break your conscience many times your heart no longer hurts. This is because the stone has cut a groove-track inside your heart. When it turns, it no longer cuts the flesh.
This is a metaphor about life. At first, when your conscience was pure, each little sin hurt. But the more you did that sin, the easier it became. A pure conscience, trained by the study of the Bible, is a good guide in your life. But when we ignore our trained consciences, they are no longer the trusty scouts we need.
Did you know that a clear conscience and a pure heart are connected to genuine faith and love (1 Timothy 1:5)?
Larry Fitzgerald
Woodlawn Church of Christ
Abilene, TX