Our Beautiful Intentions

Scripture: 1 John 3 TPT

20 Whenever our hearts make us feel guilty and remind us of our failures, we know that God is much greater and more merciful than our conscience, and he knows everything there is to know about us. 21 My delightfully loved friends, when our hearts don’t condemn us, we have a bold freedom to speak face-to-face with God. 22 And whatever we ask of him we receive, because we keep his commands. And by our beautiful intentions we continue to do what brings pleasure to him. 23 So these are his commands: that we continually place our trust in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and that we keep loving one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 For all who obey his commands find their lives joined in union with him, and he lives and flourishes in them. We know and have proof that he constantly lives and flourishes in us, by the Spirit that he has given us. (1 John 3:20-24 TPT)

God is more merciful than our conscience. Maybe you need to just let that soak in for a few moments as I did when I started writing this. When we’re striving to please our Father, our consciences are very sensitive and convict us quickly. When we sin, we’re hindered from boldly speaking to God face-to-face because our guilty conscience tells us “You can’t talk to God! You’re not worthy!” So at the very time we need his presence in our lives most, we’re hiding from him in shame, just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden. God is more merciful than our conscience!

By our Beautiful Intentions, we continue to do what brings pleasure to our Father. I love that phrase: “Our Beautiful Intentions!” [Sidebar: We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions (I meant well! I can’t help how they responded!), but we often judge others by their actions (She let me down! I can’t trust her at all!).] But God is more merciful than we are. He is pleased with “Our Beautiful Intentions.”

The stream of blessing is kept flowing as we keep his commands:

1) That we continually place our trust in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ.

2) That we keep loving one another, just as he has commanded us.

Our Beautiful Intentions keep us pressing into fellowship with our Father and seeking to do the things that bring him pleasure. And his Spirit lives and flourishes in us!

Prayer:

Father, Thanks for being pleased by Our Beautiful Intentions! Thanks for loving us so much! May we more deeply trust in Jesus and more deeply love one another. Amen.