April 3 - A Clean Slate
April 3
A Clean Slate
Bible Reading: Acts 24:10-16
10Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: “Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself, 11“because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12“And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city. 13“Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. 14“But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. 15“I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. 16“This being so, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and everyone else.
THE NEXT TIME your teacher erases the chalkboard at school, watch closely. That dark surface, once covered with math problems or vocabulary words or whatever else was up there, is suddenly wiped clean so that something new can be written. That's where we get the term "a clean slate," which means a chance to start over--a new beginning.
Your conscience is a lot like your classroom chalkboard. All your negative thoughts, actions, and feelings cause marks on your conscience, kind of like the chalk marks on the chalkboard. Yet your conscience is more than just a board that records those marks. A conscience can actually tell you if what you're thinking (or how you're feeling or what you're going to do) is right or wrong. It's sort of a self-correcting chalkboard. (Now, wouldn't that be nice in Algebra I?)
Your conscience "feels" dirty when you choose wrong--kind of like an unwashed chalkboard--and clean when you choose right--like a chalkboard that's been erased and washed. Your conscience is that part of your soul that sends messages to your spirit telling you right from wrong.
So what do you do when those "chalk marks" pile up on the chalkboard of your soul? No problem. Just call in the Great Eraser--God. Tell Him that you desire a clean slate. Then ask Him to forgive your sins. Ask for the strength and wisdom to make better decisions in the future. And thank Him for giving you a conscience to know right from wrong.
Remember that "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, KJV).
REFLECT: What is the state of your conscience right now--full of dirty marks or a clean slate? What can you do if you have a "dirty conscience"?
ACT: Offer to clean the chalkboard today for your favorite teacher or maybe even for your least favorite teacher. Think about the clean slate the Lord offers to those who come to Him for forgiveness.
PRAY: "God, I need a clean slate in the area of __________________________________. Please forgive me for ______________________________. Give me the wisdom I need to make a better decision next time when _________________________________. Thanks for the conscience You've given me to help me know I needed to talk to You about this."