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In today's world, we are constantly challenged by what we see and hear. I learned many years ago if you want to get a message across to someone, be it positive or negative, it requires repetition over time. Unfortunately, repetition over time has impacted our folks to believe incorrect mindsets. This has further set people up to walk and participate in activities contrary to truth. You may be reading this and wonder, "Where is she going with this?" I want to share a devotion with you which gives wise advice from a solid Christian. The Bible is a source of all truth and we can use it as a mirror to reflect back to ourselves.
I had a Bible Study Teacher tell us about "Character Creep". This is when a person takes a small step to compromise something which they believe is miniscule and harmless". Such as, "I will just leave work 5 minutes early today, because I have an appointment which is really important and have my co-worker clock out for me. Then it starts to become a habit where you decide other activities are important and the time of leaving moves to 20 minutes early and so on. Until you begin to believe you should be leaving early and your co-worker should cover for you. After all, what you need to get to is important. This may sound irrational, but we see it all the time in society.
You can probably think of situations in your own life where someone's actions and choices seem nuts!
As a child growing up in the sixties, I have seen a major sift in what folks believe. In saying this, I am also talking about Christians. We are not immune to the influences which bombard us every day.
Influencers
The Way to Go
I don't want to belabor all the ways society has grown to compromise, but instead offer a solution beginning with you. Take time to read this devotion today and use it as a security net for yourself to make sure the goals you are setting and living out in your life are in line with your conscience. Then check to see if they are in line with the Bible. If you haven't gotten your Bible out lately, or are not familiar with a Bible, I would encourage you to give it a try today. Start with the verses given in the devotion below.
Many do not know the Bible is life giving. The scripture is alive and has power in a persons life. I am not talking about some mystical hocus pocus, it has the living word of God in it. The scripture will resonate with you in many ways and serve to speak to you in ways you might now have imagined. God is a good Father and wants to talk to each and everyone of His children. I don't know about you, but I want to hear what He has to say.
You might be thinking, "What if I have done something bad, or I think God is going to get angry with me so I don't want to hear what He has to say?" I would say, "Do not believe that lie". God is loving and even in correction, He will point out the way of escape. We all make mistakes and do stupid things. Remember, God sees it all and still loves us right where we are. He will help lead you out of the mess you might have gotten yourself into. He has good plans for each of us, but sometimes we go off doing what the next guy is doing and it gets us into trouble.
God has designed each of us to be unique and special. There are no two people alike on the planet. I would encourage you to seek out God and make sure your goals are in line with what he has for you. I can guarantee you from my own personal experiences, God's way is always better for us! He has ALL the answers to your questions and He is able to handle anything! The best part is God loves you more than you can ever imagine!
I encourage you to read the scripture verses and devotion below, ask God to highlight anything He wants to show you. If you haven't talked to God in a while or you don't know him, I would challenge you to allow Him to come into your life. He has been patiently waiting for you!
Goals and Conscience
"Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well,19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith."
Perhaps this has happened to you: While working toward a goal that honestly seems good, you realize getting there will require a choice or action that feels troubling. Anytime that is the case, you can be sure the Lord hasn’t approved the plan, because a godly goal will never force you to violate your conscience.
As we spend time in prayer and Bible study, the Holy Spirit builds God’s truth into our conscience, the “filter” through which we process our behavior and decisions. An inner alarm will go off if we think or act in a way that doesn’t align with that filter—it is God’s warning when we have stepped out of bounds.
The Lord won’t ever approve a goal that is achieved on a godless trail. Following that path will lead only to heartache, disappointment, and regret. If reaching an objective requires violation of your conscience, then you are headed where God has not called you, and the goal is your own—not His.
Good intentions aren’t enough to make a proposed plan right. Learn to appreciate your conscience—God’s gift of an internal warning system—and heed its admonitions.
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