My eyes burst open and I quickly looked at the alarm clock on my nightstand; although I cannot remember the exact time, I’m certain the clock revealed that it was well after midnight. The sound of the front door opening had been enough to thrust me out of sleep and into ninja mode (whatever that is). Most people would have sprung out of bed, but not me. Still half asleep and lying in bed, I slapped both of my arms down on either side of me as if to brace myself for what was about to happen. Listening more intently to the sounds coming from downstairs, I heard the pitter-patter of my dog’s paws walking through the hallway. “Great,” I thought. “The thieves had broken into my house and were now taking my dog captive. They must have muzzled her, though, because I never heard her bark.” As all these thoughts were running through my mind, I glanced over in order to see if my wife was hearing what I was hearing; however, she was not there. I then became extremely alarmed because I would normally send her downstairs to check out any unfamiliar noises. Who was going to do it now? Gradually, I came to my senses and realized that the reason my wife was not in bed was due to the fact that she was letting the dog out to use the bathroom.
The mind has a tendency to play tricks on a person, especially those who are absorbed with guilt. The wisdom writer reminds his readers of this truth when he says, “the wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions” (Proverbs 28:1). Hidden sin and unresolved conflict can result in a person living their life in fear of getting caught, even when no one else may know what they have done. A guilty conscience tends to have a misconstrued view of reality, while the clear conscience can experience a life of freedom. I think I’d rather spend my days being bold as a lion instead of feeling as if I am being chased by them. How about you?
