- They might be something little, like not to eat a cookie.
- They might be something larger, like telling a "white lie" to get yourself out of a situation.
The point is that , as humans, we face many daily choices between something that seems small and harmless or something our conscience "tells" us is the right thing to do.
At the time it might not seem like much, but over the long term these decisions can affect our lives.
(Just to be clear "hearing voices" and conscience are NOT the same thing, although they share similarities). That discussion is another post, though.
As these posts look for added meaning in life from spirituality, this post looks at the spiritual significance of following your conscience.
To Follow, Or Not To Follow - That Is The Question
It seemed useful to begin this section with a quote from painter Vincent Van Gogh, which is:"Great things are done by a series of small things put together."
In other words, those small and harmless things can add up over time to something larger.
To help explain this spiritually one can go to the Dr. Charles Stanley post How Does My Conscience Differ From The Guidance Of The Holy Spirit?
A main concept Dr. Stanley points out is the God has programmed a moral code into humans at birth.
Why is this important? This is important because it suggests this code is there whether people are aware of it or not. One could conclude from this that humans have some idea of when they are doing something wrong. Obviously age affects this idea and how it is received.
What happens when what humans do contradicts what God has programmed into them? Basically, chaos.
As humans choose to go against this moral code programmed in them it causes internal conflict that can manifest itself in a number of ways. There is usually something subconscious, as a person can rationalize what they are doing while talking to others.
A Personal Revelation
Personally I have tried fitting in with others at an earlier age. It seemed like life would be much better being part of a group. One helps the other and this go smoother, right? As aging progresses, though, people often start to think that something is missing from their life, which is normal. At the time it seems like it is someone of the opposite sex, money or moving up the corporate ladder.
This is where what is called a "spiritual awakening" occurs in some people.
As a middle-ager it has come to my attention that being who you are meant to be is what causes fulfillment, even if it goes against what the majority thinks. For example, some people think it is a waste of time to write these blogs since it does not bring a steady paycheck. (Or any paycheck, for that matter).
Trying to follow the code God programmed into humans is more important. It can be said without hesitation that this has been the preferred alternative.
A person might still think that fitting in is the easy thing to do and it causes less problems. As Jiddu Krishnamurti, speaker and writer, put it:
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."
So the advice is to follow this gem of a quote:
"Let conscience be your guide."
You might also be interested in:
Do All Know Right From Wrong?
The Lies We Tell Ourselves
Author: Albert Wagner