A CLEAR CONSCIENCE IS A JOY TO THE SOUL.
Bible Reading of the Day: Read 2 Corinthians 7:2-7.
Verse of the Day: “Cling tightly to your faith in Christ, and always keep your conscience clear” (1 Timothy 1:19).
A whole week had passed, but Christine had not forgotten.
She had been playing at her friend Kayleen’s house. Kayleen had just gotten a new play set with houses and cars and people. When it was time to go home, Christine had carefully slipped one of Kayleen’s play pieces into her pocket.
Now, a week later, Christine felt bad about taking the play piece and wanted to take it back to Kayleen’s house. But she didn’t know where the piece was. She had checked her pockets, and it wasn’t there. She had even picked up all the toys in her bedroom, and it wasn’t there. She had tried to just forget about it, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the piece and wishing she could return it.
Finally, what she had done bothered her so much that she ran, crying, to her mother.
“Mommy, I did something bad, and now I’m sorry, but I can’t make it better!” she
said.
Mom knelt on the floor beside Christine and asked her what she had done. Christine explained, admitting that she had taken Kayleen’s play piece, and adding that she had lost it.
“I see,” Mom said seriously. “What you did was wrong, Christine. Do you know that?”
Christine nodded.
“But I’m very happy that you told me,” Mom said. “I have something to show you.” Mom stood, took Christine’s hand, and led her to the laundry room. She picked up the missing play piece from one of the laundry-room shelves. “I found this in the laundry, but I knew it wasn’t yours. So I decided to keep it here until I found out who it belonged to.”
Christine threw her arms around her mom’s neck in a tight hug. “Thank you, Mommy!” she said. “Can I take it back to Kayleen now?”
Mom nodded. “Be sure you ask her forgiveness for taking it. You’ll feel much better then.”
“Oh, I already do, Mommy!” Christine said as she dashed out of the house with the play piece in her hand.
TO DISCUSS: Could we as a family have written Paul’s words that say, “We have not done wrong to anyone”? Can we claim, “We have not led anyone astray”? Can we say, “We have not taken advantage of anyone”?
TO PRAY: “Lord, help us to keep our consciences clear.”
