Do you ever find yourself feeling deflated like a flat tire? You’ve got no emotional air for breathing, in-out-in-out. Do you ever feel that your weakness, for whatever reason, is just too taxing on God’s day-timer? Do you at times lack confidence to approach the Almighty because your heart is condemning you? So much so that you can’t muster the mental energy to rout the lies that say, “You can’t be a true Christian – look at you, you’re a mess, you sinned – again. Are you sure you’re saved?” What if your heart is so burdened down with the weight of your own sins that you’re convinced that God will not tolerate you any longer? I mean, you wouldn’t put up with you – why would God?

Check this out:

“By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” 1 John 3:19-23.

Did you hear that? God is greater than your weenie heart that doesn’t have the strength to lift the emotional and spiritual impact of your sins. Whatever condemns you into hiding from God, God already knows all there is to know about what is condemning you. You are still accepted in his presence. Why? Because you know in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that took your condemnation, making atonement for your sins – the very ones that are presently beating you down. God sees your deflated heart. He knows that you are cast down and can’t get up. So hear this, all you weenies out there: “whenever your heart condemns you, God is greater than your heart, and he knows everything.”

Do you see the wonder of it? Knowing that God knows everything that is wiping you out, and knowing that God is bigger than your puny, guilt-ridden heart – THIS is your Strength for Confidence. You don’t have to be tough and confident before God invites you. He loves you while you’re a yellow, chicken-liver mouse. God wants you to be “reassured” that you are the real deal. He does this by asking you, “Do you believe in the name of my Son Jesus Christ and do you love those who say the same? Do you rest in what my Son has done for you and do you love the church?” Jesus died for the church, he loves his church, and he gives to his church the confidence of presence and status that we so often lose because of our sins. He forgives and embraces.

What our hearts need to hear when we are weak and heavy-laden is the gospel. The gospel is not just for the lost but for weenie-like Christians who have lost their confidence because of sins. God does not call us to work harder but to believe. There is no message like this in the world. Look to the Cross upon which Jesus died  – this is our assurance.