Chikumbumtima ndi mphamvu yopatsidwa ndi Mulungu, imene, ngati ilamulidwa moyenerera, iyenera kutitsogolera popanga zosankha zanzeru, zokondweretsa Yehova ndi kutisunga m’njira yachilungamo. Zimenezi zikuphatikizapo kuphunzira Mawu a Mulungu mosalekeza ndiponso kuphunzira tsiku ndi tsiku moyo wangwiro wa Yesu ndi ziphunzitso zake.

M’buku la Ahebri, Chaputala 11, tapatsidwa zitsanzo zabwino za anthu ambiri a m’Chipangano Chakale Ankhondo a Chikhulupiriro amene anapanga zisankho zolungama zosasunthika ndi zotsatirapo zake, ndipo ena a iwo anataya miyoyo yawo. Ndiye mu Chaputala 12 cha Ahebri, vesi 2 ndi 3 timawerenga kuti, “Tiyang’ane maso athu pa Yesu, Woyambitsa ndi Wokwaniritsa chikhulupiriro chathu, amene chifukwa cha chisangalalo choikidwacho pamaso pake, anapirira mtanda, nanyoza manyazi ake, nakhala pansi. kudzanja lamanja la mpando wachifumu wa Mulungu. Lingalirani za Iye amene anapirira chitsutso chotere cha anthu ochimwa, kuti mungaleme ndi kutaya mtima. Mfundo imeneyi, monga tanenera poyamba paja, iyenera kupitirizabe ngati tikufuna kukhala ndi chikumbumtima choyera. Mtumwi Paulo anati mu Machitidwe 24:16 , “Ndipo m’menemo ndidziyesera ndekha ndikhale nacho nthawi zonse chikumbumtima chosanditsutsa cha kwa Mulungu ndi kwa anthu.

Kodi chingakhale chotulukapo chotani ngati sitisunga chikumbumtima chathu kukhala chogwirizana ndi mapulinsipulo olungama a Mawu a Mulungu? Tazunguliridwa ndi chikhalidwe cha dziko ndi chisonkhezero chake champhamvu. Ngati sitisamala, m’kupita kwa nthaŵi chikumbumtima chathu chikhoza kufooka ku zimene zili zololeka kwa anthu otizungulira lerolino zomwe ziri zolakwa, zosayera ndipo sizidzatikhudzanso. Tayang’anani m’mbuyo zaka zingapo zapitazi ndipo dzifunseni kuti, “Kodi zinthu zimene zasintha n’kukhala zimene anthu ndiponso atsogoleri achipembedzo akuona kuti n’zovomerezeka, zimatidetsa nkhawa monga mmene amachitira poyamba?” Ngati yankho liri lakuti “Ayi,” ndiye kuti pali vuto ndi chikumbumtima chathu. Mfundo Zolungama za Mulungu sizisintha malinga ndi nthawi kapena chikhalidwe. Tchimo ndi tchimo ndipo lidzakhalapobe. Chimene Mulungu anachitsutsa m’Mawu Ake chikadali cholakwika lero. Lemba la Yakobo 1:17 limatiuza kuti Mulungu ndi “Atate wa mauniko, amene mulibe chisanduliko, kapena mthunzi wa kutembenuka.”

Kumvera Mawu a Mulungu ndiko chinsinsi cha kukhala ndi “chikumbumtima chopanda cholakwa cha kwa Mulungu ndi kwa anthu.” Kusamvera kosalekeza mwa kupanga zosankha zoipa m’kupita kwa nthaŵi kudzawononga chikumbumtima chathu ndi kuchipangitsa kukhala chosamvera chimene chiri choyenera. Tikamatsutsana ndi chikumbumtima chathu pamene chimatichenjeza, kulungamitsa zosankha za dziko zimene timapanga, ndiye kuti tapatuka ndi kulowa m’njira yoterera ya njira yotakata ya kusamvera imene imatsogolera ku chiwonongeko (Mat. 7:13).

Tingayerekeze kusankha zinthu molakwika ngakhale pamene tapatsidwa chenjezo poyendetsa galimoto pamsewu wachilendo usiku ndi kufika pamalo otchingidwa ndi chikwangwani cholembedwa kuti, “Msewu Watsekedwa Chifukwa Chomanga.” Koma m'malo momvera chenjezoli timaganiza kuti palibe ntchito yomanga yomwe ikuchitika nthawi ino ndikusankha kuyendetsa mozungulira chotchinga. Kunena zoona, sitidziwa zimene zili patsogolo pathu. Zitha kukhala kuti gawo lina lamsewu lakumbidwa ndipo palibe chilichonse koma tsoka lomwe likubwera. Choncho ndi pamene tachenjezedwa ndi Mzimu Woyera kuti tisapite kumeneko kapena kuchita zimenezo. Tsoka likhoza kukhala chotulukapo ngati tisankha kunyalanyaza “mawu aang’ono” amenewo! Lemba la Miyambo 16:25 limati: “Ilipo njira yooneka kwa munthu ngati yoongoka, koma mapeto ake ndi imfa.”

Ngati tasokera kuchoka pa njira yopapatiza yopita ku moyo, tiyeni tilape msanga ndi kufunafuna chikhululukiro cha Mulungu, kum’pempha kudzera mwa Mzimu Woyera kuti akonzenso chikumbumtima chathu mogwirizana ndi mfundo zachilungamo. Iye akuyembekezera ndipo ali wokonzeka nthawi zonse kutitsogolera, monga momwe fanizo la mwana wolowerera likuphunzitsa momveka bwino (Luka 15:11-32). Ndife odala chotani nanga kukhala otsimikiziridwa za ichi pa 1 Yohane 1:5-9 : “Uwu ndi uthenga tidaumva kwa Iye, ndipo tiulalikira kwa inu: Mulungu ndiye kuunika; mwa Iye mulibe mdima ngakhale pang’ono. Ngati tinena kuti tili m'chiyanjano ndi Iye, koma tikuyenda mumdima, timanama, ndipo sitikhala m'chowonadi. Koma ngati tiyenda m’kuunika, monga Iye ali m’kuunika, tiyanjana wina ndi mnzake, ndipo mwazi wa Yesu Mwana wake utisambitsa kutichotsera uchimo wonse. Ngati tidzinenera kuti tilibe uchimo, tidzinyenga tokha, ndipo mwa ife mulibe chowonadi. Ngati tivomereza machimo athu, ali wokhulupirika ndi wolungama Iye, ndipo adzatikhululukira machimo athu, natisambitsa kutichotsera chosalungama chilichonse.” Tamandani Mulungu chifukwa cha Chisomo Chake chodabwitsa ndi Chifundo!

Conscience is a God-given faculty that, if properly regulated, should direct us in making wise choices, pleasing to the Lord and keeping us in the path of righteousness. This entails a continual intake from God’s Word as well as daily studying the perfect life of Jesus and His teachings.

In the Book of Hebrews, the 11th Chapter, we are given great examples of many of the Old Testament Heroes of Faith who made righteous choices unswayed by the consequences, costing some of them their lives. Then in the 12th Chapter of Hebrews, verses 2 and 3 we read, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” This consideration, as we have mentioned earlier, must be on ongoing process if we are to maintain a clear conscience. The Apostle Paul said in Acts 24:16, “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.”

What would be the effect of not keeping our conscience in accord with the righteous principles of God’s Word? We are surrounded by the world’s culture and its powerful influence. If we are not careful, over time our consciences can become desensitized to what is acceptable to those around us today that is wrong, unholy and will no longer concern us. Look back over the past few years and ask yourself, “Do the things that have evolved into what society and even some of the clergy now consider acceptable, concern us as they use to?” If the answer is “No,” then there is a problem with our conscience. God’s Righteous principles do not change with time or culture. Sin is sin and always will be. What God condemned in His Word is still just as wrong today. James 1:17 tells us God is, “the Father of lights, in whom is no variation, neither shadow caused by turning.”

Obedience to God’s Word is the key to having “a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.” Continued disobedience by making wrong choices will eventually scar over our conscience and make it insensitive to what is right. When we go against our conscience when it cautions us, justifying the worldly choices we make, then we have veered off course and entered the slippery slope of the broad road of disobedience which leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13).

We might liken making wrong choices even when we are given warning driving along an unfamiliar road at night and coming to a barricade with a sign that says, “Road Closed Due to Construction.”  But instead of heeding the warning we rationalize that certainly no construction could be going on at this hour and choose to drive around the barricade anyway. In reality, we really don’t know what is ahead of us. It could be that a section of the road has been dug up and nothing but disaster lies ahead. So it is when we are warned by the Holy Spirit that we should not go there or do that. Disaster could very well be the outcome should we choose to ignore that “still small voice!” A sobering text is found in Proverbs 16:25: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

If we have wandered off the narrow way that leads to life, let us quickly repent and seek God’s forgiveness, asking Him, via the Holy Spirit, to recalibrate our conscience in accordance with the principles of righteousness. He is waiting and always willing to redirect us, as the parable of the prodigal son teaches so clearly (Luke 15:11-32). How blessed we are to be reassured of this in 1 John 1:5-9: “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Praise God for His wonderful Grace and Mercy!

E. Weeks ©CDMI