Of the Heart of Humanity

Many are those who say that you should follow your heart. But God spoke through His prophet, saying, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). Later, Jesus Christ elaborated by saying, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." (Matthew 15:18-19).

Of course the heart to which they refer is not the physical organ that pumps blood through your body, but your inward desires, thoughts, and feelings. It is closely related to the mind, which is something more than the physical brain inside your head. These things, the heart and mind to which we refer, are spiritual, non-physical components of the human being.

And human hearts are corrupt with sin because of the fall, when sin and death came into the world through the disobedience of Adam (Genesis 3, Romans 5:12). When sin (disobeying God) feels sooo right, that is because the heart is sooo wrong. Solomon wrote that "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12). 

Being a follower of Jesus Christ means surrendering our hearts and minds, our consciences, to our Heavenly Father through Him. His Holy Spirit, who speaks to us through the Scriptures, also comes to live within us. He leads and guides us. He teaches us and molds us into His perfect images as we place our trust in Him and obey Him. By this life-process of sanctification, we will become just like our Lord, Savior, and Friend, Jesus Christ.

In their song, "Blind", Third Day says:

"My heart I could not trust

'Cause it lies to me too much

And my mind just couldn't 

Understand it all

How could I have been 

So blind to not see You?

The more I look the more I find

You've led me to the truth"

Indeed, the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked; enslaving us to sin. But Jesus Christ is the truth that sets us free, and the Way for us to live (John 8:31-34, John 14:6). His word, the Scriptures, are truth, proceeding from Him (John 17:17). We must yield to Him as our Compass. Don't follow your heart. Follow Jesus instead. And He will give you a new heart that is in harmony with Him.