Day 20 – Living Boldly: Voice Training
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Your conscience that God gave you acts as an internal moral thermostat. It’s your inner voice that sounds off when you have done well or poorly. Your conscience can be a powerful tool for aligning your life with God’s Word, but it can also become distorted if not biblically trained. The conscience is malleable. Let’s talk about how to care for and train your conscience so it reflects God’s truth—the ultimate sweet spot is when your inner voice and God’s Word are in tune.
Rick’s 31-Day Devotions
They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them
(Romans 2:15).
The Role of Your Conscience
Your conscience reacts to how you respond to life’s situations. When you make choices that align with God’s Word, your conscience becomes more in tune with Him. But when you resist the truth or make sinful choices, your conscience dulls, distancing you from God (Hebrews 4:7).
This dulling effect is similar to how skin reacts to the sun. Over time, a sunbather’s skin toughens and becomes leathery. Likewise, when you ignore or resist God’s truth, your conscience hardens (1 Timothy 4:2). Eventually, this leads to spiritual blindness, where you no longer discern right from wrong—a dangerous place to be.
Biblical Voice Training
The goal is for your conscience and God’s Word to “sing in harmony.” When your inner voice aligns with Scripture, you’ll experience true freedom and clarity for all of your decisions. To keep your conscience clear, you need to train it using the means of grace God provides.
- Canon (God’s Word): God’s Word is the ultimate standard of truth. Regularly reading and meditating on Scripture will help you calibrate your conscience to God’s will.
- Comforter (Holy Spirit): The Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture and convicts you of sin. Ask Him to guide your understanding and help you apply God’s truth to your life so you do not quench or grieve Him.
- Community (Biblical Friends): Accountability from wise, godly friends can help you see blind spots and make choices that honor the Lord. Surround yourself with people who encourage you to grow spiritually.
- Conscience (Inner Voice): Your conscience affirms you when you walk in truth and warns you when you stray. Listen to it, but ensure it’s informed by Scripture and not personal feelings or cultural norms.
Time to Reflect
- How would you describe your conscience? Is it weak, hard, dull, or biblically informed? Take time to honestly evaluate how your inner voice reacts to life’s situations.
- How are the four means of grace working in your life?
- Describe your time in God’s Word.
- What does seeking the Spirit’s guidance mean?
- Who holds you accountable; how are they doing?
- Rate your conscience from 1 to 10. 1 being hard and 10 being in tune with God’s Word? What changes will you make?
- If your conscience isn’t fully aligned with God’s Word, what steps can you take to strengthen it? Commit to consistent Bible reading and reflection. Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal areas where you need to grow. Seek out a trusted mentor or friend for accountability. Don’t let your conscience become calloused or disconnected from God’s truth. Instead, train it to reflect His Word and experience the freedom and joy that come from walking in harmony with Him.
Let’s live boldly, ensuring our consciences are a faithful guide, tuned to God’s voice.
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Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.
In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).
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