Matters of the Heart

The Bible has some interesting passages about the "heart." I use quotation marks because I am referring to the "heart" as the hub of emotion and its other symbolic meaning. I, of course, am not referring to a part of our anatomy.

Proverbs 4:13 states, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

Jeremiah 17:9 states, "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked."

These verses reveal several things to me, including the following:

1) The heart is an important part of who we are and greatly influences the way we experience the world.

2) The heart will seek to guide us; it will no doubt contribute its two cents to every decision we make.

3) At the same time, the heart is wickedly deceptive, and we can almost be sure that it will lead us astray.

4) Knowing its importance, and its tendency to err, we ought to guard it carefully.

Add to that the words that follow in Jeremiah, "Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives."

5) God sees our hearts. God judges our hearts. Only God is capable of discerning the things of our hearts.

Finally, add the following words from Proverbs 4, "Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."

The Bible tells us that our hearts are deceptive. Indeed, they are the more deceptive than anything else. So what do we make of the old adage, "follow your heart?" I've heard that more times than I can count. How about, "What does your heart tell you?"Usually it comes up in pop culture: it's a cute way of telling people to do whatever they feel like doing and not to be bothered with righteousness and truth. Or worse, it's our way of convincing people that there is are such things as righteousness, truth, and justice, and if we want to find them, we need look no further than what our hearts--or guts--tell us. But God gives no such instruction. Fortunately, we have access to something the promises truth and to never lead us astray: the Word of God and his Holy Spirit.

When we fervently seek the wisdom of God, and when we set our heart's/emotional inclinations aside, the smoke begins to clear. To be sure, God can and does change hearts. By the power of his Spirit, we can actually experience moments of purity of heart. But when we are in that place, we don't say that we know we are righteous because our heart tells us so. Rather, we can say that our hearts are finally--even for a moment--in line with what we've already learned is truly righteousness. We've always desired to want to do the right thing, but our heart was never on board. Then it happens, and it is wonderful. But do not get too comfortable. Our hearts cannot be trusted; only God's eternal Word is completely true and unwaivering. Rest your decisions on it. Judge your actions and thoughts by it it. And Weigh your instincts against it. You will never be led astray.