Hebrews 12:1 – Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (ESV)

I have a car with computers in it. When it detects a fault, it has an instructive ding sound to let you know that there is a message. The more serious the fault, the more piercing the tone, and the more persistent and unrelenting the dings.

The thing, though, was that the only fault in my car — as it transpired from my search on the Internet — was a common one. The passenger air bag was being reported as faulty, due to a wiring flaw in the seat. When I turned on the ignition, I got a ding, because the memory said that it had had a fault reported that had not been dealt with. Obediently, I took the car to a garage and they reset the computer and checked the wiring. No more ding; whoopee!

Lo and behold, though, two days later, the message returned. Ding!

I am not one of those people who can let anything slide ad infinitum. It is a "men are from Mars" thing, my wife tells me. I like issues to be resolved.

I bought a code reader that interfaces with my car's computers. This allows me to carefully interrogate the car's memory and reset the fault code, which I have done. After months of being annoyed by a ding, when I sit in the car I get silence. Brilliant!

Now, when the car dings, I read the message, because it is not an old, outstanding error, but something new that I need to react to.

We can get a ding in our conscience when something is wrong in our walk with God. That is what our conscience is there for: a place for messages from God to let us know that something needs our attention. If we do not address the issue, every time we wake up, the ding will return, until we do something about it.

Prayer: Lord, You are our Saviour from ourselves, as well as from others. To You alone is the glory. Lord, enable us to run the race in peace with You, free from the dings of life and the sin that entangles. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Rod Marshall <roderickhenrymarshall@gmail.com>
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
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