The heart is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9
“Just follow your heart.” “What does your heart tell you to do?” Phrases like these are often
followed by a swelling orchestral strain and a pink sunset. They sound lovely
and ever-so-wise, and we often treat them as though they had come down from Mt. Sinai
with the Ten Commandments. In reality, such thinking is in direct conflict with
biblical truth. Following your heart is often a sure path to disaster because
our hearts are fickle, self-centered, and subject to changing on a whim. If you
need convincing, consider your third grade crush, your idea of fun when you
were single and drunk, or your feelings for your ex-spouse. Was your heart a
reliable source for wisdom and direction back then? It hasn’t changed much.
The
human heart is a complex and often baffling source of conflicting information
that, if heeded, can get us into big trouble.
The only hope for these sin-laden hearts is transformation by the Holy
Spirit. This involves time, surrender, and painful pruning as He pries some
deeply embedded fallacies from our lives. Even devoted followers of Jesus
cannot trust their hearts until they are totally surrendered to the will of
God. A selfish heart can take even a good desire and twist it into an idol.
Wisdom begins when we recognize that our hearts are not always our friends, and
therefore cannot be trusted to lead us in the right direction.
Are you following your
heart? Is it leading you closer to the plan of God? If not, don’t listen to it.
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