Can I confess something to you? The following phrases drive me absolutely bonkers: Follow your heart. You do you. What does your heart say? To thine own self be true.
Now, I usually don’t dispute the words of Shakespeare, but in this case, they directly contradict the Bible! “The heart is deceitful above all things…” The Lord isn’t exactly being vague here.
There is often a disconnect between our hearts and our heads. We often know something to be true, but we have a hard time feeling it. For example, one of my favorite stories in the Bible (because I identify with it so well) is in Mark when a man comes to Jesus to heal his son. He cries out to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief!” On the whole, that sentence would be total nonsense if you didn’t realize our hearts and heads are at odds with each other.
When we follow our hearts, we set ourselves up to be deceived. We give ourselves over to our inclinations to sin. This is a wholly different battle than with the enemy – it’s with ourselves. When we follow our hearts, we say that our way is the best way. And, let’s be real, is it really? Instead, align yourself with the Lord, and you will not face anything alone.
References: Jeremiah 17:9, Matthew 15:19, Mark 9:14-29, Psalm 37:4, Proverbs 3:5-7
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