What is the relationship between your conscience, the
values you keep, and self-respect? I read an article about a young police
officer who was assigned to drug enforcement. He served earnestly until, in a
moment of weakness, he experimented with cocaine, which in turn evolved into a
full-fledged addiction. He disregarded his conscience, which cheapened his self-respect.
What went wrong with his
conscience that allowed this officer to take such a drastic turn in his
behavior? He was aware of the consequences he’d experience later down the road.
Why didn’t his conscience stop him from experimenting with cocaine in the first
place? Surely his conscience made him aware of the wrong choices he was making.
Obviously,
your conscience can be over-ridden and denied the power to stop disaster. Even
so, your conscience doesn’t give up because God uses it to help you turn away
from sin, even when self-respect is stuck in the gutter. Jesus is interested in
your redemption and beckons you to turn around and come back to him, so why not
do it now?
