Don't follow your heart

We all have heard the saying many times, "Follow your heart." It sounds nice. It's appealing to many people simply because we are human and we like the idea of doing what we want to do with our lives. However, if God is in the picture, we should be cautious with this. If you want to please God, you probably shouldn't follow your heart. You see, the Bible has some not so good things to say about the condition of our hearts.

Jer 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
First of all, the heart is deceitful.  We have the ability to deceive our own selves. The other night I was at Panda Express after church, and I saw a couple come in. I talked to the girl a little bit because she was sneezing like crazy just like me! (Allergies have been BAD over here) I felt the need to invite them to church, so I got out a church card and walked over to their table. "Have you ever been to a Pentecostal church?" The guy looked up and smiled. He then proceeded to tell me that his grandmother was a Pentecostal and that he was raised in a United Pentecostal Church. As I began to talk to this couple, I noticed the man kept trying to justify his sin and the way that he was choosing to live. "Yeah, me and God are cool and everything. I'm just trying to have fun. I don't cuss or smoke in front of little kids and I'm faithful, I don't cheat." On and on he went. Justifying. Anytime I tried to suggest something or bring up a scripture, he would quickly cut me off. "Oh yeah, oh yeah I agree." But it was obvious his life was not lining up with the Word of God. We've got to be careful what we allow ourselves to get into! The further you go into sin, the easier you will be decieved. This man was deceiving himself. He wanted to do things his way. "I go to church sometimes still! I just don't like a preached telling me his interpretation of the Bible and giving me his opinion. Me and God are cool, I know the Bible." But he didn't want a preacher in his life. Self deception is the worst deception there is!

Ecc 8:11

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Our hearts are fully set to do evil. We as humans naturally gravitate towards evil; it is our fallen, human nature. Another good reason not to follow your heart! When you follow your heart, you're not following God. If there is one thing we are to follow, it is Jesus Christ! He is the way! If you want to go the way He wants you to go, take His advice!

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

To put our trust in God is to let Him completely have His way in us. This means giving up hopes and dreams you have for your life and yielding them to God. When you trust, you're not afraid or worried. The hardest part is getting over your own will - your wants, desires, and dreams - and giving them completely to God and His purpose for your life. Don't follow your heart. Jesus said "Follow me." I don't know about you, but I don't want to get myself into a ditch of regrets by following my heart. I have decided to follow Jesus!