Conscience Pure

Acts 23:1 And Paul, looking intently at the Sanhedrin, said, Men, brothers, I have conducted myself in all good conscience before God until this day.

Acts 24:16 Because of this I also exercise myself to always have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

The Lord has given me opportunity after opportunity to learn to exercise my conscience. These days, I have been blessed with elderly men with needed my help. To the best of my ability, I took time out to help them. In fact, both are retired Government officers of high ranking; one in the foreign ministry of India and the other in the state department of Haryana. The Lord has sovereignly brought me to contact with them. Despite being my father's age, they treated me like their "friend" and "son." And I am glad to render help in whatever way I can; in fact, I did best, whenever they requested help.

In a few cases, out of their gratitude for my assistance, they even wanted to offer me money which I outrightly denied. In some of the ways I help, there were also opportunities from my side to take advantage of them, if I wish to. But the Lord warned me to maintain a good conscience in all my dealings with them. I spent my time, my energy, and even my money for their sake. I took that as a blessing, learning to serve people. My intention was that their hearts would be touched, melted and that they would see, believe and receive the Christ that enables me to befriend them and help them. My only goal in helping was to somehow show the love of Christ to these friends of my father's age. In their case, I prefer to preach the gospel by my good deeds. Of course, I did not gag my mouth from preaching the gospel. I did preach the gospel a couple of times too to both of them when I felt it was alright to do so.

I continue to maintain my relationship with them as their friends or helpers and pray for them that they would experience the love of God and be saved, especially one of them who is an unbeliever. I learn from brother Paul and learning to be able to say, "I have conducted myself in all good conscience before God until this day."

The unbelieving friend has offered me his cow milk which I promised to pay as per his rate. Last week, I went to settle the milk fare I owed him. I decided to do at the beginning of each month and maintain a proper record of milk supply and payment made by me. I did this purposely not to give any ground to the enemy. Though he did not want such formality and asked me to simply give him whatever I felt good about. But I insisted that I should give him exactly what is due with a proper record. And in doing so I told him I did not do it for the sake of money, but for the sake of conscience. That touched him so much as I could see in his facial expression. Money matters must strictly be dealt with with utmost accuracy. It's for the Lord's testimony to touch his heart and let him see the true and living God in His believers. In this way, I can testify like Paul, "I also exercise myself to always have a conscience without offense toward God and men."

Praise the Lord for such opportunities to be able to exercise my conscience with all purity by His sure mercy and amazing grace! Lord, preserve my conscience pure. Amen.