If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 

(I John 3:20 NIV)

Although she wasn’t much of a bowler, a young woman agreed to fill in when her friend’s bowling team was short a player.  A few days later, her parent asked how she had done. She rattled off her scores:

“160, 167, and 155.”

“Wow! That’s great!” came the reply.

“No,” she corrected. “One game 60, one 67, one 55.”

Her scores sounded impressive, but the reality was far less dazzling. That’s often how life feels for us. Others may look at us and assume we’re capable and confident.  But inside, we feel inadequate, unworthy, or weighed down by our own flaws.  We know the “real scores,” and they don’t look so impressive.  Our own self-assessment can make us feel smaller than we appear to others.

John addresses this tension in 1 John 3:20, “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” John is writing toChristians who sometimes feel weighed down by guilt, self-doubt, or a nagging sense of unworthiness before God. 

But our hearts are not always reliable guides. They can exaggerate our failures and minimize our progress. They replay old mistakes, stir up shame, and whisper that we’re not enough. Even after we’ve been forgiven, we can still feel guilty.

But God is greater than our hearts and his verdict is more trustworthy than our inner feelings. God knows both our sins and our sincere love for him.  He knows the reality of our faith, our intentions, and our standing in Christ.  His judgment is based on perfect knowledge, not on the fluctuating emotions or guilt we feel.

So, when others misjudge us as being “more put together” than we feel, or when our own conscience convinces us we’re not enough, we can rest in this truth: God knows us better than anyone — including ourselves — and his verdict of grace is what matters most.

Prayer: Father, you know me better than I know myself. When my heart condemns me or when others assume I’m stronger than I feel, remind me that your grace is greater than my weakness. Help me to rest in your truth, not my feelings, and find confidence in your love.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day