Heading South

Lately I have been thinking about my conscience. You know, that thing inside a person that points the way they should go. It’s like a compass. In fact, some people even use the term “moral compass” to refer to it. Many believe it is the standard by which we can know we are headed in the right direction. After all, a compass always points north, right?

I used to think a compass always pointed north, but I’m here to tell you, they don’t. I know because I had one that pointed south. It spent too much time bouncing around in a backpack and rubbing up against other magnetic gadgets. One day I pulled it out and looked at it. It proudly declared north was now south. No amount of shaking and turning would convince it otherwise.

I think my conscience is the same way. God put it there to point north, but too much time spent rubbing up against the wrong sort of characters can get it confused. Next thing you know, you’re lost and trying to figure out how to get out of the jungle with nothing to guide you. Or worse, you don’t even know how lost you are because you’re still depending on a faulty compass.

Fortunately for me, I finally got my crazy compass straightened out by rubbing it up against a good strong magnet, pointed in the right direction. That worked because I had other reference points to go by and I knew which way the compass ought to point. The moral of the story? Before using your compass, make sure it’s calibrated using a map and a good reference point. I would suggest a bible and the Son.