Don't Follow your Heart
Follow your heart, that’s what you have always been told right? I know, it seems like kind of a funny title. I mean there must be a typo or something. Isn’t is supposed to say “Follow your heart”? That’s what we hear day in and day out. That’s the message we are bombarded with from the time we are young. Every Disney princess follows her heart and chases her dreams and ends up living in a castle with a handsome prince! Modern day Zen teaches us to look inside and find peace and quietness. Look to your heart for direction. We hear expressions all the time like ,” What is your heart telling you to do?” “ The heart knows best” “ The heart wants what the heart wants” etc.
So what is the heart? What are these expressions really going after? It sounds so pretty and romantic to follow your heart. Some abstract vision of a beautiful, flowing truth that we are born with, an instinct that rises up and guides us at just the right moment, a stream of intelligent emotion that we can tap in to at any point in our lives to figure out which way to go. Emotions.
I have to tell you, when you break it down like that it sounds kind of wishy washy. I don’t know about your emotions, but mine…??!! One day my emotions might lead me to feel happy and love those around me,the next day they might lead me to snap at everyone and be rude and critical. On which of those days am I actually following my heart? My heart might tell me I was destined to eat a whole chocolate cake, love someone other than my husband, or do something that hurts other people. Guess what folks? You can’t trust your heart. It will lead you down a path that is not safe. Don’t follow your heart!
Every time I type that I feel like the character Gollum in The Lord of the Rings’ The Two Towers, where he grabs Frodo from the sea of the dead and admonishes him firmly,” Don’t follow the lights!” The lights might look pretty, mesmerizing even, but underneath they are full of things that are dead…rotten. Doesn’t sound like a good thing to follow, does it? You might be thinking just now, that isn’t anything like my heart tho, this analogy is way off base. Guess what? It’s actually spot on! Here’s a verse in the bible to show you what I mean:
“The human heart is the MOST deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Jeremiah 17:9
Yikes, that sounds bad. Suddenly “follow your heart” turns into “ follow your deceitful, selfish, wicked, sinful, lying emotional base instinct.” I hate to be the bearer of bad news but your heart is rotten to the core. It will lead you nowhere but astray. It’s also really confusing. No wonder our youth today are so confused, anxious and depressed. Deep inside we all know “follow your heart” is vague, self serving and abstract. But hey, if it works for everyone else it must be right, so then there’s something wrong with me! No, child, there is nothing wrong with you, its the logic that is faulty. So leave the confusion behind. You must be asking now,” So what do I follow? DO I just wander blindly around and let fate decide?” Well, I am glad you asked. There’s a couple of bible verses I wanted to share with you.
“Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days” Deuteronomy 5:33
Jesus spoke and said,” I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life.” John 8:12
Now there’s a light you can follow! A light that will guide you, so you will never walk in darkness or confusion. This is a beautiful light. This is in sharp contrast to our human heart.
It requires sacrifice, it requires obedience, it requires laying down your own selfish desires and whims. But it is so worth it. Sometimes in christian circles we hear people say things like,” give your heart to Jesus.” Based on what we know our heart is, why would he even want it? Why would he want the worst part of me, my fluctuating emotions, my selfishness, my sin? HE wants to take it and erase it, he wants to make it new, he wants to change you…and that required sacrifice on HIS part.
He laid down his life for you. He chose to walk a path of suffering, death and pain. He paid the price necessary to wipe the slate clean and give you a new heart. He did this for you. Why? Out of love. Love from a pure heart, a heart that does no sin, the only heart innocent enough to be the sacrifice for you.
God will change your heart, and then you will gladly follow him. Life will not be perfect, painless or smooth all the time, but you will have peace, passion, joy, and guidance. Gods love will flow through you. You can check your heart in all its wanderings at the door and follow something stable. Something absolute. Its such a relief to know there are absolutes after all!
So don’t follow your heart. Follow Gods heart.
