Have you ever had a “meltdown?” I have a friend who did. It happened following some negative experiences in his work. He is the vice-president of his company, with several departments reporting to him. Last summer, the members of one department were indifferent to some of his ideas on improving their work. The head of another department severely criticized my friend for proposals he had made regarding their work, and the sharp confrontation that followed between the two

The pursuit of being right with others, at least as far as it depends on us, is what the Bible calls the pursuit of a “clear conscience.” Paul mentioned it frequently, and throughout the Scriptures we see examples of those who had to make amends for their sins, offer restitution for their wrongdoing, or publicly confess something. Here’s the definition I use when teaching about the need for a clear conscience: The ability to say there’s no one alive that I have knowingly wr