Conscience is man's capacity for discerning Divine guidance. It is our most immediate and intimate point of contact with God. It is the epicenter of authentic spiritual life. Nothing is more important than discerning and following the guidance of our conscience. Yet, down through the centuries, nothing has met with more resistance.

If you examine the religions of the world you will find that most do not teach that conscience is man's closest point of contact with God. It's a concept that individual philosophers and theologians have sporadically entertained, but for a religion to take a clear and formal stand on this matter is something else again. Of the world's major religions, most would literally violate their own tenets if they were to declare the truth regarding the conscience of man.

It is important to understand that when we resist our conscience we are resisting the will of God, and this causes us to be alienated. Alienation is mankind's fundamental spiritual dilemma. It refers to more than loneliness or isolation. To be alienated is to be distant from one's purpose in life. When we resist the life we are being called to live we end up being alienated from ourselves, others, and God, and this will be true even if the life we are presently living seems wonderful.

Why do we resist our conscience in the first place? We do so because we want something from life that would be jeopardized if we were to obey our conscience.

What do we want so badly that we would routinely avoid our conscience to get it? We want to be seen in a certain light. We want to occupy a certain position relative to others. It does not matter how humble or grand our desired position seems to be. The point is that we will resist our conscience in order to attain it. To save face we will ignore our conscience. That tells you something. It tells you that surrender to the living will of God involves the loss of face.

You might think that a person would feel guilty if he were to avoid his conscience on a regular basis, but that is not necessarily true. Early in life we begin pursuing our desired status. If we manage to attain it then we strive to maintain it. As long as we feel justified in pursuing our desired objective we will see no reason to question our course in life, and we will feel no guilt. Awakening to this fundamental error, and reversing our allegiance, is what authentic spiritual conversion involves.

There is no substitute for carrying out the tasks indicated by our conscience. No amount of religious worship will take its place. Attaining intricate levels of psychological insight will not take its place. Becoming skilled in the art of meditation will not take its place. Performing charitable acts will not take its place. Working hard and becoming successful or popular will not take its place.

At this moment you already believe something about spirituality. You have an opinion. If you formed your opinion prior to learning about the nature of your conscience then you can rest assured that your opinion will change in some significant way after you begin to see how you resist your conscience. The truth regarding conscience is incompatible with the core teachings of eastern spirituality. It is incompatible with the foundation principle of Protestantism, known as sola fide. It is also incompatible with the elitism that has long lived within the Catholic tradition, but it is not incompatible with Catholic spirituality itself. Nor is it incompatible with the revelation of Jesus Christ.

You are either basically aligned with your true purpose in life or you are not. People entertain all kinds of erroneous ideas about the concept of life purpose. A man's purpose only manifests when he transcends his resistance to his conscience. If this is not occurring then what he considers to be his purpose will only be a means for acquiring his desired status. If you are presently aligned with your true purpose in life then you know first-hand that it requires losing face before your friends, family, and professional associates. Your purpose is the cross you must carry if you want to follow the will of the living God. It's not a cross merely because it is difficult. People commonly undertake difficult tasks for the sake of getting what they want in life. It's a cross because it perfectly counters the one thing you have wanted more than God.