Clear Conscience
What to do when struggling with the weight of worry
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So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.
Acts 24:16 (ESV)
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Have you ever done something wrong and walked around with the weight of the guilt on you?
It’s an emotionally heavy burden.
Several years ago, I hit a financial snag and I ended up behind on my taxes. For months I would wake up with worry, knowing that if I didn’t get it taken care of then I could perhaps go to jail. I had to chip away at it until I was able to clear the debt.
But it was exhausting.
Not physical, but emotionally … erm … taxing on me.
😉
Anyway, that’s the kind of everyday worry that can make life unnecessarily hard.
In that case, I was walking around with a guilty conscience (I owed a debt I could not pay).
But once I paid it off?
I felt light as a feather.
🪶
In order to walk around with a clear conscience, it takes effort to always do the right thing. To always keep away from even the appearance of evil.
Yes, it’s work.
And the reward is not always immediate.
But God is good, and at least walking around with a clear conscience is emotionally freeing.
I hope you, too, are experiencing the joy of a clear conscience toward both God and mankind.
And if not, then know that it’s worth the effort to fix.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2025 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
