The world will tell you to “do you,” “follow your heart,” or “do what makes you happy.”
While well-intended, these cliché phrases lead Christians down a dark path that ultimately ends in ruin.
The truth is, one of the worst things you can do as a Christian is “follow your heart.” Here’s why.
Our Hearts Lie
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” – Jeremiah 17:9
You see, our hearts will lead us to believe that if we follow our own desires, we will be happy.
But nowhere in the Bible does God tell us to create or follow our own path – He tells us to give up everything and follow Him.
The truth is, this world is not about our pleasure and happiness – it’s about making God’s name known.
If we depend on our heart for guidance instead of the truth of Scripture, we’re bound to lose our way.
With our hearts being deceptive, the only thing we can lean on for truth is Scripture.
Our Hearts Are Sinful
“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” – Mark 7:21-23
Whew! That’s a pretty long list.
God makes it perfectly clear in His word that our hearts are sinful.
We are prone to the cravings of the flesh and in doing what feels good to us, we are feeding the sin within us.
Many people try and blame external circumstances for why there’s evil or injustice in this world, but the issue always comes back to one thing – the heart.
Cain hated his brother in his heart, so he killed them.
Joseph’s brothers envied him in their hearts, so they staged his death and sold him into slavery.
All throughout the Bible, God warns us what happens to those who ignore His commands and instead choose to follow their hearts.
It Elevates Self
To become a Christian, we must die to our old self and be born again.
But by “following our heart,” we are prioritizing our needs, wants, and desires above everyone else, but most of all, above God.
Nothing about living for ourselves and our fleshly desires makes us more holy.
In fact, it makes us selfish and even prideful.
Instead, we need to think of others before ourselves and find ways to serve the body of Christ – which yes, may mean we are inconvenienced.
As Christians, we need to be counter-cultural and make sure we aren’t passing on dangerous advice like “follow your heart” to our family and friends.
It might make your friend feel good in the moment, but ultimately it will lead them down the wrong path.
We must always point our loved ones to God’s truth, which is found in His word.
If we follow His path and His ways, and surround ourselves with accountability through our church community, we can rest in His promise that, as the Good Shepard always does, He will guide us and show us the way.
(h/t Christian Life Daily)