Follow Your Heart.......Not!!

We have all heard the expression, "Follow your heart".  I am sure you have received the advice to just follow your heart when facing a decision.  I would like to address the problem of following your heart.

The Bible has a lot to say about our hearts.  Jeremiah 17:9 says, The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure".   In Proverbs 4:23 is says, "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the issues of life".  

We all have issues of the heart.  Usually it is a result from something we believe to be true about ourselves.  If our hearts have been broken and we have not been healed, our heart will cry out from that broken place and tell us that we will never be loved again.  And we go through life living out of our brokenness.  

How many lives are destroyed from people following their hearts?  How many marriages and homes are broken as a result of this?  I remember years ago, a famous Christian singer, married to another Christian singer, met a famous, married, singer and started a relationship.  When interviewed, the Christian singer said that this person was her soul mate, therefore she felt she was  powerless to not follow her heart.  As a result, her career suffered, her children suffered, her husband and the other man's wife suffered.  All of this resulted from 2 people following their hearts.  They have since repented and their marriage is doing well, but it doesn't take away the damage that was done to two families.  

Our nation is coming apart at the seams because the theme is, "Why can't everyone be allowed to follow their heart?".  

Can I tell you that your heart will lie to you?  Your heart will tell you, "It's ok, he or she is your soul mate".  Your heart is a master of justifying something contrary to the Word of God just because it "feels" right.  

I want to share a personal testimony.  As a teenager, I met and fell head over heals for a young man.  I would have called him my soul mate.  He was very handsome and I couldn't believe he actually liked me.  We dated and I became pregnant, and so we married.  After a year of marriage and about the time our daughter was 6 months old, he decided that he didn't love me and asked my parents to come and get me and my daughter.  Fast forward to 3 years later.  He was in the army and stationed in Turkey.  We started writing letters (no email back then) and talking on the phone.  I opened my heart back up to him and we talked about remarrying.  I told myself, I have my soul mate back!  He made a surprise visit to me and I was thrilled.  We talked, enjoyed each other and I went with him to visit his family.  On that visit, he decided to tell me that he was engaged to someone in Turkey.  She was the daughter of an officer on the base.  He said he knew he had to make a decision between the two of us.  I was devastated, to say the least, but this was my soul mate, so I just knew he would choose me.  My heart was begging for him to choose me.  Well, you know what happened, he chose the other girl and went his own way, leaving my heart crushed for the second time.  

I shared that to say, that, thankfully God gave me someone who I would not call my soul mate to pick up the pieces.  He was my God mate, the one God chose for me.  My heart did a bad job of choosing.  You see how that ended up.  Even years later, I still struggled with my heart feeling tied to my soul mate, until I allowed God to heal that part of my heart that was crying out for that man.  The cry of my heart got quieter and the voice of the Holy Spirit became louder. 

Stop listening to your heart.  Stop allowing your heart or feelings to rule you.  Start listening to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.  The more you listen to His voice, the louder it becomes.  The more you listen to your heart, the louder it becomes.  The voice of the Spirit speaks truth.  The voice of your heart speaks lies.  Who will you listen to today?

Are You Spiritually Bi-Polar?

Let me preface this by saying, in no way am I making light of someone who suffers from a mental disorder.  I am strictly speaking in the spiritual sense.  The great difference is, if we recognize we have this problem, it can be easily fixed. 

I guess you could call me a facebook addict.  I enjoy staying connected and reading what others are posting, seeing what is going on in their lives.  In some cases, this is the only contact I have with a lot of people.  I also receive a lot of encouragement reading what others post.  I hope I encourage people occasionally.  

However, I am often puzzled when I read some posts by people I know who are Christians.  I am troubled by those who profess Christ, praising Him one day, and then the next day, are whining and complaining because things aren't going their way.  I have even tried to give a word of encouragement, only to be argued with that they have "tried" what I suggested and it didn't work.  Is it any wonder their life is a roller coaster? Up one day and in the dumps the next day.  

We have all seen the person who goes from one great experience to another, trying to get a spiritual high. They are unable to live the day to day life that each of us have to live.  When they don't get the high, they fall to the bottom.  They are constantly running to the latest and greatest preacher, seeking after that high.  No one can live the life of a believer that way.  

The Word of God says so much about our daily walk.  His mercy is new each day.  Give us this day our daily bread.  Take up your cross daily.  But, so many are trying to get all they can today so that is will last them until they need another "fix".  We can't gather tomorrow's supply today.  God supplies what we need each day, each day.  He gives enough to make it through each day.  His grace is sufficient!  

Even if your life stinks today, don't curse it!!  James said "out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing".  Read facebook one day and  you will see this in action.  I am not saying you are not allowed to complain.  Just don't be a bad witness.  If you need to talk to someone, tell a close friend and then allow them to pray with you and encourage you.  I can see that some don't want to be encouraged.  They want to wallow for a while.  

Believe me, I have bad days.  Days when I want to crawl in a hole or run away.  I am human. But, I have learned that what I say makes a difference.  You will hardly ever hear me voice what I am feeling because I know the power of words.  I am almost fanatical about words. Ask any of my friends when they start negative talk around me.  

We all have bad times.  Times of grief, despair, pain, fear,etc.  But, guess what, even though our life may be bad right now, God is not.  When we complain, saying how terrible our life is, we are saying, in a sense, God is not good.  Is He or is He not?  Why not turn your cursing into blessing.  If you can't find any good in your life, you can find a good God.  You can always tell Him how good He is.  What power that will bring to your life!!!  

We, as children of God, must be more consistent in our words and deeds.  Remember, the world is watching.  What are you showing them?  As long as I get my way, God is good and I will praise Him. Anyone can do that.  But, what a testimony, when life has taken a turn for the worse, for you to proclaim, God is still good!!