Ep. 118 || Gray Areas: Personal Conscience in Motherhood
It’s our first episode of 2019, and we’re talking about the little voice in your head. The one that pipes up when you feel guilt over letting your kids eat too many cookies or sets off an alarm bell when you watch something questionable. All of us have one, but it’s not the Holy Spirit. What is it exactly? In this episode, Emily and Laura start the conversation on personal conscience. God gave each of us a conscience to help discern what’s right and wrong in the everyday “gray” areas of life. While it can be dulled by sin, God recalibrates our consciences through the study of his word and fellowship with believers, so we can do all things in faith with love.
Related Articles, Resources, and Content:
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Ep. 56, Feeding Our Families & the Gospel - Risen Motherhood
Ep. 63, Jen Wilkin: Growing in God’s Word as a Mom of Little Ones - Risen Motherhood
Ep. 83, Finding Freedom in Christ as a Working Mom: An Interview with Nikki Daniels - Risen Motherhood
Ep. 85, Same Grace, Unique Circumstances: Every Mom is Your Neighbor - Risen Motherhood
Ep. 92, Learning, Growing, & Changing Our Minds: How the Gospel Frees Us to Do Something Different - Risen Motherhood
Ep. 93, How Should We Educate Our Children? The Case for Freedom, Part 1 - Risen Motherhood
Ep. 103, When Snack Time is Scary - Risen Motherhood
Ep. 117, “Mommy, Can I Watch a Show?”: Screen Time & the Gospel - Risen Motherhood
“What Does It Mean for a Mom to Have Freedom in Christ?” Nana Dolce - Risen Motherhood
“Bridges of Grace: Dealing with the Different Mama” Emily Guyer - Risen Motherhood
“Loving the Mom Who is Different From Me” Amanda Criss - Risen Motherhood
“Unity Rather Than Uniformity” Christine Hoover - Risen Motherhood
“Gods’ Grace Beyond Our ‘Mom Tribes’” Abby Hummel - Risen Motherhood
“What is Conscience?” - Joe Carter, TGC
“Always Let Your Bible Be Your Guide” Dawn Wilson, Revive Our Hearts
“Don’t Always Follow Your Conscience” Andy Naselli, Desiring God
The Art of Turning, Kevin DeYoung
R|M Apply Questions:
Does anyone else remember Jiminy Cricket from Pinnochio? In a sing-songy voice, he offered this half-truth: always let your conscience be your guide. But we can’t blindly trust our consciences because, like everything else, they’re affected by sin. Sometimes they’re wrong and sometimes they’ve been dulled by repeated sin. But God did give them to us to help guide us in the everyday matters of life—the “gray” areas—as we learn to discern right and wrong. For our consciences to calibrate to God’s word (the ultimate authority on what’s right and wrong), we need to study scripture and spend time with other believers. Let’s discuss how our consciences work, impact our freedom in Christ, and help us love our neighbor.
Our personal consciences are different than the Holy Spirit. What’s the difference?
Our consciences can be dulled by ignoring them or sinning against them. What are some areas of motherhood where you’re continually feeling the need to pause or you’re experiencing guilt? How do you respond?
Our conscience can be wrong, dulled, overactive, or hypersensitive about certain topics. But as we grow in our knowledge of God, they will fall more in line with his ways. How do you recalibrate your conscience?
Our consciences help us make decisions in the “gray areas” of life— matters the Bible doesn’t speak to specifically. But our personal decisions aren’t necessarily the same ones made by others in our lives. What gray areas of motherhood are you trying to make others conform to?
The Bible teaches us to do things in faith with love, so sometimes we need to lay aside our Christian freedom in order to love our neighbor. How did Christ exemplify this type of love? What would it look like for you to do the same with a friend?
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