Some people say,“Just follow your heart, & do what makes you happy.”
FOLLOW YOUR HEART – How many times have we heard this? From romantic movies to motivational speakers, they’re all telling us to… follow our hearts! But is this good advice?
More importantly, is it biblical?
NOPE!
It can sound so simple, beautiful, & even liberating. It’s tempting to believe.
- People often do anything they want in the name of, “following your heart.” In fact, many OF US have made damaging life decisions based on this single piece of awful advice…?
If you choose to, “FOLLOW YOUR FEELINGS.” Your feelings CAN actually lead you down a road full of damaging potholes & maybe even a fatal crash.
- How many times have you heard people divorcing say, “I just don’t FEEL in love anymore.” They let go of the years of investment, to get that “In-love feeling” with a new person. & how many times have people left an amazing job on a whim because they, “felt” like it? Or because they “didn’t FEEL valued.”
PROVERBS 28:26
“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”
Just because you think or FEEL it doesn’t make the feeling or thought true!
It may not be popular or Pinterest worthy in your mind, but it’s true. The thoughts you have about yourself & the world around you aren’t always true!
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
JEREMIAH 17:9
Your heart will lie to you about who or what is worthy of your affections. Your heart will tell you things like,“If it feels good, it is good” or “if it feels good, it is right for me.” It is a lie that the enemy has been telling us since the very beginning in the Garden of Eden.
MATTHEW 22:37
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart & with all your soul & with all your mind.”
Your heart follows your investment.
In other words, your heart will follow whatever you pour your time, talent & treasure into.
- If you pour the majority of your time into Facebook & Twitter, your thoughts & emotions will be lead by it.
- If your talent & energy are focused completely on your job, the importance of your life will rest in your job.
- If you believe that your treasure is in cars, boats, & material things – that is where your desires & affections will be.
MATTHEW 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
LUKE 6:45
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
- Essentially, FOLLOWING YOUR HEART is a belief that says, “your heart is a compass inside of you that will direct you to your own true north if you just have the courage to follow it.”
- It says that your heart is, “a true guide that will lead you to true happiness if you just have the courage to listen to it.”
- The creed says, “you are lost & your heart will save you.”
YOUR HEART WILL NOT SAVE YOU! YOU NEED TO BE SAVED FROM YOUR HEART.
For some people, it is a tempting gospel (teaching or revelation) to believe.
This belief can sound simple | beautiful | & even liberating in a quote we read online, (but in real life)… your heart has sociopathic & narcissistic tendencies when left to it’s own will.
Our hearts were never meant to be gods in whom we believe & trust – we were meant to believe & trust in God.
OUR HEARTS WERE NEVER DESIGNED TO BE FOLLOWED, BUT TO BE LED.
4 REASONS TO NEVER FOLLOW YOUR HEART:
1. HEARTS ARE LIARS.
- They trick us. They tell us that we should have what we want but fail to warn us of the consequences of that path.
- They show us a distorted view of reality and blind us to the truth… It’s easy to see when others are being led astray by their lying hearts, but it’s not as easy for us to see it when it’s happening to ourselves.
MATTHEW 15:18-19
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
2. HEARTS ON THEIR OWN – ARE DYSFUNCTIONAL.
- The unredeemed heart is full of wickedness & sin… EVEN the redeemed heart often falls too easily back into those temptations, especially when we’re leaning on our own understanding (following our heart) instead of trusting in the God.
PROVERBS 28:14
Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
3. HEARTS ARE PRONE TO SELFISHNESS.
Our hearts desire what they want, when they want it.
- They can even begin to put things or people in the place of importance that should only belong to God… We start to desire something or someone more than we desire God.
- We hold on to something & won’t let God have it…
- Or we start to find our identity in something or someone other than Him… & you may not know this, but that is what the bible calls an idol.
We are COMMANDED TO NOT PUT ANYTHING BEFORE GOD.
MATTHEW 13:15
For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, & I would heal them.
4. HEARTS DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS TRULY BEST FOR US.
Only God knows what is truly best for our lives. We cannot see the whole picture, and we cannot see His master plan.
- When we blindly follow our heart, we can easily step outside of His perfect plan & while we think we’re providing a great future for ourselves, we could be missing out on something much more incredible than we could even imagine.
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
