DON'T Follow Your Heart — Erica Barthalow
I know, I know. You’re probably not going to design a t-shirt with this slogan.
Don’t follow your heart—those words stand in stark opposition to literally everything you see today.
“Do more of what makes your heart happy,” “follow your heart” and “trust your heart” is everywhere. It’s the advice du jour, and it’s splashed on every chic wooden sign and trendy t-shirt from coast to coast. It’s a popular mantra.
But is it good advice? Have you taken the time to ask yourself that question?
Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT) says:
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to put my trust in something the Bible describes as deceitful and wicked.
Last week’s blog post and weekly roundup was all about making good decisions and fighting feelings of overwhelm. From looking at various articles and social media, it’s clear that, as a whole, we’re overwhelmed and struggling to even hear what our hearts are actually saying. I mean, I have a hard time picking which restaurant to eat at, let alone the direction for my life!
The idea of looking inside of ourselves for direction and clarity is at the heart of why we’re confused. Because when we do that, we’re at the mercy and whim of our heart and emotions. And boy can those things be fickle!
Believing that the answers to our greatest questions and struggles lie inside of us is confusing at best and extremely damaging at worst. And it bothers me because it elevates our feelings, thoughts and emotions to a place where they don’t belong. It encourages us to place our heart/feelings above the leading of God.
So if we can’t trust our hearts, where can we put our trust? And how do we know which way to go and what to do?
There’s a better way—something far simpler, and more reliable and trustworthy than following your heart.
Follow Jesus as he leads you.
When we choose to follow Jesus as he leads us, we can be confident and secure, knowing we’re listening to and following the one who knows the future and the best path for us.
So don’t follow your heart today…follow Jesus as he leads you!
P.S. This weeks weekly roundup is all about prayer and how to hear from God (so you can follow him, not your heart). Find it here!
