1 John 3:20
[20] For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
No matter how hard we try, we do not live up to our own expectations, let alone God’s. The same heart that can give us assurance, as we read in the previous verse, can also fill us with guilt. Our heart can condemn us to the point that we live in defeat. This proves a very important principle for every believer. The heart is not to be ignored, but it is not to be the final authority either.
Fact, faith, and feelings are how we are to operate. The facts of God’s word tell me the truth. Faith in the word of God gives me assurance in the truth. After all, truth does no good if we choose not to believe it. Then, feelings are a part of what we have heard and believe. The only problem with this is that sometimes feelings can be misleading.
The heart can really condemn us for our short comings and failures. This is not a bad thing, it is a good thing. We should feel condemned in our hearts when we sin, come up short or fail. Condemnation can lead us to repentance and victory.
Whenever we repent, we must not allow our hearts to rule us. God is greater than how we feel. Many Christians live a defeated life, because they trust the feelings of their heart over the facts of God’s Word. Whenever I come up short, God’s word says, if I’ll confess it and forsake it, I’m forgiven. If I have trusted and obeyed the Word, then no matter how my heart makes me feel, God is greater than my heart. My assurance is not in how I feel, but rather in what the Word says. We must not let our heart be the final authority, but allow his Word to be the final authority in our lives. God is greater than any sin we can commit. God is greater than any mistake we can make. God is greater than any sorrow we might bare. God is greater!