When a man is in prison, it leaves him with plenty of time for reflection...
Locked up at night alone in a cell, he truly knows what it is to feel lonely. But is he really alone? I know from personal experience that he is not. Present with him is his conscience.
I also know from experience that a man's conscience talks. It is not silent, not by any means. His conscience speaks of guilt and shame. What is hidden to those around him is not hidden from the moral code which speaks from within.
One's conscience serves to remind him of his wrongdoing and the crime he has committed. It also brings into memory those whom he has hurt. There's no escaping its all-knowing power. And if it so happens that no one knows of other crimes he has done, his conscience will assuredly remind him that it has not forgotten.
The conscience is a prisoner's personal warden. It can serve as his torturer, too. Its heavy weight will rest upon the soul of the guilt-ridden. Think how many have been driven insane because of a guilty conscience. It has even driven men to commit suicide. Its sting can be deadly.
A prisoner alone with his conscience sounds frightful. It is. Imagine being trapped with something that knows about and remembers every bad deed you have ever done? Living with such a thing isn't easy. It's not meant to be. But the conscience, in addition to being one's accuser, can also be his helper.
The conscience is God's gift. Although it can bring pain if it is ignored, it can also allow for healing and peace if its pangs and pleadings are acknowledged.
It is often in the seclusion of a man alone with his conscience where true honesty can show itself. As the often repeated saying goes' "Confession is good for the soul." Yes, it is.
With confession to his Creator, a man comes clean. No more hiding. No more telling lies to himself and others. Declaring his guilt to God begins the process of clearing the conscience. It's the first step, and it's a good one.
All said, a prisoner alone in a cell is not necessarily a bad thing if he heeds the words of his conscience. The Lord will be present with him. Forgiveness will come, and the torment of a guilty conscience will cease.
D.B.
I also know from experience that a man's conscience talks. It is not silent, not by any means. His conscience speaks of guilt and shame. What is hidden to those around him is not hidden from the moral code which speaks from within.
One's conscience serves to remind him of his wrongdoing and the crime he has committed. It also brings into memory those whom he has hurt. There's no escaping its all-knowing power. And if it so happens that no one knows of other crimes he has done, his conscience will assuredly remind him that it has not forgotten.
The conscience is a prisoner's personal warden. It can serve as his torturer, too. Its heavy weight will rest upon the soul of the guilt-ridden. Think how many have been driven insane because of a guilty conscience. It has even driven men to commit suicide. Its sting can be deadly.
A prisoner alone with his conscience sounds frightful. It is. Imagine being trapped with something that knows about and remembers every bad deed you have ever done? Living with such a thing isn't easy. It's not meant to be. But the conscience, in addition to being one's accuser, can also be his helper.
The conscience is God's gift. Although it can bring pain if it is ignored, it can also allow for healing and peace if its pangs and pleadings are acknowledged.
It is often in the seclusion of a man alone with his conscience where true honesty can show itself. As the often repeated saying goes' "Confession is good for the soul." Yes, it is.
With confession to his Creator, a man comes clean. No more hiding. No more telling lies to himself and others. Declaring his guilt to God begins the process of clearing the conscience. It's the first step, and it's a good one.
All said, a prisoner alone in a cell is not necessarily a bad thing if he heeds the words of his conscience. The Lord will be present with him. Forgiveness will come, and the torment of a guilty conscience will cease.
D.B.
