“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick. Who can understand it?”
Jeremiah 17:9
Follow your heart.
This is frequently among the many messages promoted in movies and television shows. The message is the same, whether it is Elsa in Frozen or Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Do what makes you happy. Trust your desires. Follow your heart.
What can be wrong with that?
On the surface, this might seem like okay advice. But for the follower of Jesus these words are worth a reflective pause. (I’m not saying never watch a Disney movie!) But as believers we do want to use discernment with the messaging we receive.
Let’s face it– if we are honest, we know our hearts don’t always make good decisions, do they? Here are a couple scriptures to consider:
Jeremiah 17:9. “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”
Matthew 15:19: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and slanderous statements.”
Scripture gives us a clear picture: Our hearts are corrupted by sin and cannot be trusted. Even when we start with good intentions, sin can easily manipulate our motives. The book of Proverbs goes so far as to say, “One who trusts in his own heart is a fool (Proverbs 28:26).”
It doesn’t get much clearer than that!
The Bible is filled with examples of people who followed their own hearts, and it didn’t go well. Jonah’s heart told him to run away from Nineveh. He ended up in the belly of a large fish. King David’s heart told him to pursue a lady named Bathsheba. He ended up committing adultery and murder. The disciple, Judas’ heart, desired money. He betrayed Jesus and ultimately died by suicide.
The good news is that the Bible encourages us to trust and follow Jesus instead of trusting and following our hearts. We are told to trust the Lord with all our heart (Proverbs 3:5). We can trust in God because, as Hebrews tells us, Jesus is the “same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Our hearts change constantly, often in the blink of an eye. But God’s holiness is steadfast and trustworthy. The closer we grow to Jesus, and the more time we spend in His Word, the more our desires will match His. Our hearts will begin to emulate His.
The world says to follow your heart, do what makes you happy.
Jesus tells us to die to ourselves, to put God and others before ourselves. Jesus’s ways will always stand in contrast with culture.
Follow Jesus, not your heart—no matter what a catchy Disney song says!
Taken from a video by Bryant Wright, Founder, RFTH
DIG DEEPER
Read “Why You Should Guard Your Heart and 3 Ways to Do It” by Michael Kelley
