God Is Greater Than Our Hearts

Scripture – 1 John 3:16-20: ¹⁶This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. ¹⁹This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence ²⁰whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) Wow! These few verses are packed. I’m not sure what to pick up for today. I’m really struck by that last line. God really is greater than my heart. There are many times my heart is wrong. I’ll convince myself it’s okay to do something that’s wrong. I can justify it and even convince myself it’s what God wants. There are other times I feel guilty, even though I’ve done nothing wrong. God knows everything, and He is greater than my heart.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) I will use my mind to keep my heart in check. Sometimes when I feel right about doing something wrong, I can over-rule my feelings. The same holds true when I feel guilty about doing something right. By God’s grace I know the difference between right and wrong. I will take direction from His word. I will live from my head, not just my heart.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, thank you for your help in daily living. Guide me this day in my thinking as well as my feeling. Help me live a life of love today. Thank you so much for the help and strength you’ve given me – especially over these past few days.

An Invitation – If you’re interested in a face to face discussion about what we’ve been discovering in the Mini-Journal, a small group will be meeting tomorrow morning, 9:45 – 10:30am, at the Southgate Fun and Fitness Center (on Northline near I-75). Look for them around one of the tables in the Café area.