Keep a Tender Conscience

by Joyce Meyer

January 24, 2010

The [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith ... through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized). -- 1 Timothy 4:1-2 

Today's verses speak of a person's conscience being "seared" or "cauterized." If a wound is cauterized, it becomes scar tissue and is unable to feel anything. Similarly, when people's consciences become cauterized, they become tough and numb, unable to feel what they should feel. Years of disobedience and personal pain can make us hard instead of gentle, but through God's grace we can change. We want to stay tender toward God so we can immediately sense when we are hurting others or disobeying Him in any way. 

Ask God for a tender heart and conscience so you can be sensitive to Him and His dealings with you. If you know people who have hard hearts from years of personal pain and or disobedience to God, pray for them also. It is a beautiful thing to be able to discem immediately when our behavior does not please God. Thank God each time you sense Him dealing with you and keep working with the Holy Spirit to keep your conscience tender toward Him. We can ask for His forgiveness and immediately change our behavior: "Father, I pray for myself and my loved ones who have seared, hardened, cauterized consciences. I ask that You do a work to break that hardness off of us. Please soften our hearts toward You. Give us tender hearts that are responsive to Your leading, so we can immediately sense what You are saying to us and what You want us to do. In Jesus' name, amen."