By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before Him whenever our hearts condemn us, for God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything. (1 John 3:20) In Lent we can comb our consciences to bring to God the sins we recognize that He has forgiven. It’s part of the bath our spirits take that David mentioned in Psalm 51:7: Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

I have often heard someone say, “Of course I know that God has forgiven me, but I just can’t forgive myself.” When I hear those words, I know that I have said them myself until I learned that no one can forgive himself or herself; for that is the task that Jesus alone took upon himself. I believe that our sense of self forgiveness locks us in a cell of self sufficiency that is a serious shade in our spirits and prevents us from being “washed white as snow.” David hungered for that washing, as he realized that he himself had no soap that could make him clean. Instead of turning inward and hugging his sins, David looked outside himself to God, who alone could help him.

When the Apostle John wrote “By this we shall know the truth,” he was acknowledging the cleansing that we can receive when we recognize that “ God is greater than our hearts,” and that His surpassing greatness is what we are denying when we refuse to “forgive “ ourselves. The burden of guilt that results in “not forgiving ourselves” distorts our relationships and our most important relationship with God Himself. The apostle John’s insight that God is greater even than our hearts means that God is greater even than our consciences, a scary but liberating truth, as John affirms.

Linda, a friend of mine, told me this incident. She was riding in her car while her teenage son was driving, as he had just acquired his permit. He had stopped at a stop sign near their home, when he noticed the car behind him was driven by one of his friends. “Mom,” he said, “Get down! Get down!” Linda cooperated by lowering the back of her seat and sliding down so that she couldn’t be seen from the window. The boy in the other car finally recognized his friend and drove up next to the passenger side of Linda’s car. Looking from his window he smiled at Linda and said, “Hello, Mrs. Fox,”

to the chagrin of both Linda and her son.

During Lent it is good to remember that God is greater than both regrets and intentions, and the clean air of His Spirit in our spirits brings a sensation of purity and freedom that can be found nowhere else but in Christ. This is the truth.

Love in Him,

Prue