I know the title may sound a little controversial, but you will see why we should not follow our hearts below:

I’m sure everyone has heard of the saying “Follow your heart”, and it sounds like the right thing to do, right? After all, our hears can’t be wrong. Let’s see what the Bible says about this. Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” Genesis 8:21 says “…For the imagination of man’s hear is evil from his youth…”

It’s true! The Bible tells us over and over that our hearts are wicked, and we shouldn’t follow it. The moment we start to follow our heart is when we are led to only a path of destruction. It’s when we deny our wicked, evil ways and leave it all to God that we truly do the right thing. It’s in our nature to sin because we’re human and we’re not perfect. But since God is perfect, He can guide us in making our desicions. Proverbs 28:26 says “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”

God tells us that we should follow what He asks of us, and not what our hearts tell us. Numbers 15:39- “Remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes…” It’s easy to do what we feel in our hearts. It’s pleasing to us to do what we want to do, and hard to do what God asks of us, but God tells us to give all of that up. Joshua 24:23- Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.” What exactly are “strange gods”? It can be anything we seek that isn’t right. Anything our hearts desire that isn’t right in God’s eye.

If we truly repent in our hearts of our evil ways, God will forgive us. His mercy is so great that as long as we repent, he does not reject us. Psalm 51:17- “…a broken and contrite heart, o God, thou wilt not despise.” After we repent, we should ask God to give us a clean, new heart. Psalm 51:10- “Create in me a clean heart, oh God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

Ask God to guide you in everything that you do. Then ask Him to take complete control over our thoughts, words, and actions. After that, trust in Him! Psalm 62:8- “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us…”