One of the biggest lies culture tries to tell is to ‘follow your heart’. When you have a difficult decision you need to make, follow your heart. When you don’t know what to do in a relationship, follow your heart. When you can’t seem to decide what is right and wrong, follow your heart. It can sound nice and supportive when someone is told to follow their heart, but the reality is it’s not only bad advice, it’s unbiblical advice. 

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.” That doesn’t sound like a good guide to be followed in decision making! When we follow our hearts, which we all do at times, we find ourselves in sin (either premeditated or not), and our words and actions reflect that because “from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander” (Matthew 15:19). That’s nowhere near the cute, romanticized picture our culture tries to create with following your heart.

But the good news is we have it so much better than the picture culture tries to create because we have a Lord and Savior who was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). We have a loving God who “demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). We have a mighty God who will purify us from our sin (Psalm 51:2). We have a just and forgiving God who “if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9). 

We don’t have to just ‘follow our heart’; we don’t have to blindly move through life not truly knowing which way to go. Instead, we have the gift of being in relationship with Jesus and knowing that as we seek him, confess our sins, abide in his presence, and trust in him with all our hearts, he will lead us, guide us, and direct our paths.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I praise You for sending Your only Son to live as my example, die for my sins, resurrect from the dead, and ascend into Heaven sending the gift of Your Holy Spirit to guide me in my daily life. Rather than looking to my own heart, will, and emotions, help me to always look to Your wisdom and guidance. Please forgive me for the times I have failed at this and followed my own path. As I draw near to You, I ask that You purify me and help me to always be consistent in my walk with You. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

In what ways do you need to align your heart with the heart of the Father? Take an inventory of your life and begin working on those areas today.