Powering Up Conscience

     The price tag caught my eye. Twenty-four batteries for $9.97. They were alkalines, the long lasting kind. A good buy.
     I brought them to a check out counter at Walmart. The cashier charged me $13.97. I politely disputed the extra four dollars.
     She called in a supervisor. Turns out, the batteries had been priced incorrectly. The higher amount was correct.
    To my surprise, she offered to honor the original price. I would save four dollars.
     Seconds later my conscience kicked in. The store had made an innocent mistake. They had owned up to it. Taking advantage of them wasn't right.
     I offered to pay the full price.
     The woman reiterated the stores willingness to honor the original price. Hearing that, I paid her the $9.97.
     Hours later, my conscience still bothered me. By asking to pay the price in full, did I rationalize not paying the price in full? Now I am considering whether to pay the difference during a later visit to the store.
     Conscience prods us toward conformity with God's will.