A Clear Conscience
I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. – Acts 24:16 NKJV.
What would you do if you found a large amount of money or valuables? What would you do if no other person was around and it was up to you whether or not to turn it in?
Cruz Escobar a 60 year old woman from El Salvador now living in the United States faced such a situation. She was cleaning an airliner when she found a bag. Inside the bag was $20,000 worth of gold, diamonds, and pearls! What did Cruz Escobar do? She turned the bag with the valuables into her boss. It was then returned to the owner, Vicki Koutsis, who had left the bag on the plane after returning from a vacation in Greece.
Obviously Cruz Escobar has a conscience that is in good working order. Cruz said, “I felt sorry for the woman who had lost it. I always believed what my mother taught me, that you should never keep something that doesn’t belong to you.” But do we believe that? The apostle Paul had a clear conscience. He kept it clear by always striving to do what was right in every situation. We can keep our conscience in good working order by doing the same.
What is the price of a clear conscience? If you have ever had a conscience that wasn’t clear, you would understand the value of one that is clear. Clear of what? Clear of guilt, clear of worry about a thing done wrong, or badly, or less than to the best of your ability. Ms. Koutsis said: “The jewelry’s sentimental value would have been irreplaceable.” The value of a clear conscience is far higher.
When making decisions, when seeking God’s will, when working each day, in our interactions with others, in every situation let us always strive to keep our conscience clear before God and men.