Stop! Don’t Follow Your Heart.

Stop! Don’t Follow Your Heart.                     



We’ve heard it said, “Follow your heart.” We may have even said it ourselves.

I’ve seen people follow their hearts and jump right off cliffs. You probably have too.


I’ve cried with the bewildered husband of a young mother who followed her heart half way across the country to hook up with her on-line boyfriend. Her little girls couldn’t understand why their mommy was gone. 


I witnessed a man enthusiastically put his entire nest egg into a business opportunity that eventually failed. He lost it all, but was following his heart. 


I smiled at the cuteness, watching a sweet family adopt a couple of adorable puppies they had neither time nor resources to care for. The pups became dogs and were sadly neglected within a couple years, but those parents had followed their hearts.    


When the extra-marital affair of the father of four teenagers was exposed, he lost his home and family, shattering his wife and the vulnerable youth. Besides that, the husband of his mistress kicked her out, leaving her estranged from her infant and toddler. Six children were broken because the guilty pair were following their hearts.


We’ve watched the bride and groom take their vows and wave goodbye, embarking on an amazing honeymoon. The wedding was lavish and fun but the marriage ended in a train wreck just a couple years later. With starry eyes and intense passion, they were following their hearts. 


You know the stories. You’ve witnessed them too in the lives of friends and family—perhaps even in your own experience. Our human tendency is to jump right into situations that excite our hearts.

Photo by Connie Wohlford

The heart is the seat of our emotions. That fact alone could elicit a red flag if we’re paying attention. Our wiser self knows it’s imprudent to make life-changing decisions based on emotions. 


Jeremiah 17:9 warns us: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” This passage should bring pause before we take the J.U.M.P.—Justify Unhealthy Momentary Pleasure. 


So, what are we to do? We’re human beings with human emotions. God made us that way. Yes, He did, but He never intended for us to be dominated by our emotions. His plan is to renew our hearts—giving us a heart that’s pliable in His hands (Ezekiel 36:26) so we can learn to do things His way and follow His lead. That’s not to suggest He will be like a dictator, lording over us. But with a heart captivated by our Savior, Jesus, our desires and passions will line up with what God wants for us. That is abundance of life, unexplainable peace, and unspeakable joy. 


Instead of following our own hearts, we can follow the heart of our Creator who knows what’s best for each of us in every situation. The Bible has much to say about the heart and how to maintain it. 

Here are some passages that will help us learn to follow after the heart of our Heavenly Father:


“Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11 NKJV).


“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV).


“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV).


“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 NKJV).


Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart. For they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8 NKJV).


As we observe life experiences—both ours and those of others—as well as the encouragement of Scripture, like the ones above, we know that our hearts play a major roll in where we go in life. Let’s each endeavor to do as the psalmist and seek God with our whole heart (Psalm 119:2, 10). In doing so we will be blessed and live abundantly.

Next time you yearn to follow your heart—stop! Don’t J.U.M.P. Be careful not to Justify Unhealthy Momentary Pleasure. Check in with the Holy Spirit. Inquire of God’s Word. Pray about it and follow the leading of the Lord. Ultimately, you’ll find peace and joy and not be burdened with regret. 


©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford