In the beloved novel by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Lady Catherine de Bourgh tries to blackmail Elizabeth Bennet into promising she will not marry her nephew. “I know it all!” she haughtily declares as if her knowledge of Lizzy’s family shame will dissuade her from accepting Mr. Darcy’s marriage proposal. Knowing everything about Elizabeth fills Lady Catherine with contempt and pronounces Elizabeth guilty and unworthy.

Contrast Lady Catherine’s attitude with our Father God who knows it all and loves us anyway! (And the content of our heart is much more serious and harder to love than Lizzy’s social faults.)

The apostle John’s first letter focuses a lot on obedience and loving others. It can be a tough message. Just in case we’re condemning ourselves because we know we sometimes sin (1 Jn 3:6), or occasionally hate others (3:15), or love the world more than our heavenly Father (2:15), John wants to reassure us we belong to God and set our hearts at rest. 

This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.

1 John 3:19–21

If our hearts condemn us and we’re paralyzed by what we think of ourselves, we refocus on the truth that God is greater than our hearts. He knows everything about us and he still loves us—lavishly (3:1)!

So have confidence before God. With that mindset, ask and receive, do what pleases him, trust in Jesus, and love one another (3:22–23).

And for extra assurance, John puts an exclamation point on this by reminding us God’s Spirit is in us (3:24). 

How can you set your heart at rest?

PRAYER

Lord, set my heart at rest, help me refocus my thoughts on your lavish love and not my failures and mishaps.