Those of us who have been around for a few years are
often asked for advice from younger people or other friends who are dealing
with important decisions.
For years I have heard well meaning people, often
followers of Christ, give this advice to the one asking the question,
“Follow your heart.
Follow your heart and you will never go wrong.”
PLEASE STOP SAYING THAT!
That is some of the worst advice you could ever give
anyone.
Why?
Consider what the Bible says about the heart of man.
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
If the Old Testament reference is not sufficient for
you, then consider the words of Jesus in:
Mark 7 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil
eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Considering what the Bible tells us about the
condition of the Human heart, we should NEVER advise anyone to “Follow their
heart”!
Some might say, “Well. A Christian has Jesus in his
heart so that should be ok for a Christian.”
And the resounding answer to that would be another big NO!
We who follow Christ have a basic human sinful nature
in this flesh but we also have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The Apostle Paul acknowledged that in
Romans 7
and tells us of a spiritual warfare that goes on in our bodies between
the flesh and the Spirit. 14 For
we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the
very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree
with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who
do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that
nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do
what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do
not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now
if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells
within me. 21 So I find
it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For
I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in
my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me
captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched
man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? .(ESV)
To follow our hearts would still be wrong but to
follow the Holy Spirit is Just what Jesus would tell us. Look at what He told His Disciples (and us)
in John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
So the Christian answer to the questioning person should never
be “Follow your heart:. It
should be “Follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If you do that you will never go wrong!}
On a personal note, I think I gave some pretty good advice
to the 1991 Graduating Class of Ashland Paul Blazer High School in their Baccalaureate
Service at Putnam Stadium. I shared with the graduates the wisdom of Solomon
from Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean
on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make
straight your paths. (certainly better than “Follow Your Heart”}
