Down through the ages these words have been the almost universal advice given to those attempting to make decisions and find direction for one’s life. Borrowing from the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, William Shakespeare wrote, “This above all, to thine own self be true.”[1] More recently Steve Jobs wrote, “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”[2]
Follow your dream, listen to your inner voice, get in touch with your inner self, and follow your intuition or hunches are various ways of expressing the more universal exhortation to “follow your heart.” The reason for the attractiveness and eager acceptance of this phrase is that it is an appeal to self. After all is said and done, following one’s heart is really doing what one really loves and wants to do anyway. This sentiment is expressed by the words of Jalaluddin Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic, “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”[3] But will following your heart lead you in to making right decisions in life? In other words, can we trust the pull and direction to which our heart leads when seeking the best answers and direction for our lives?
The prophet Jeremiah writing in the sixth century B.C. condemned the nation of Israel for its extreme wickedness because their hearts were turned away from God.
This is what the Lord says, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord…The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17: 5, 9. KJV]
Jeremiah is telling us that the self-centered wisdom of man often fails because of his unregenerate heart which is deceitful above all things and can’t be fixed apart from God. What is this heart of which Jeremiah speaks?
The heart
The heart contains one’s desires, feelings, and thoughts which are a person’s inner being, but let’s be more specific in our examination of the three parts of man’s heart. The intellect (thoughts) involves the mind. Emotions (feelings) are expressed in a wide range from feelings of love, anger, anguish, delight, grief, humility, excitement, and passion to name just a few. The third compartment of the heart is the human will (desires) which contains a person’s motivation, purpose, and determination, all operating at the command of man’s freewill (his ability to choose which was implanted by God at the time of man’s creation).[4]
Alien philosophies and worldviews are contrary to biblical truth and the nature and character of God in whose image man was created. These false worldviews and philosophies appeal to the sinful, selfish nature of man through his heart (i.e., desires, feelings, and thoughts).[5] Therefore, the unregenerate heart of man is corrupt and cannot give truthful answers to life’s fundamental questions. If a person’s heart is corrupted which means that it is not rightly ordered or oriented toward God, how can that heart provide guidance and direction in obtaining truthful answers to all other questions in his or her life? It cannot.
The heart of man is the battleground for the ages-old conflict between the God of Creation and Satan and his followers. Every man is born with a corrupt heart and wears the sin-stained badge of Satan’s dominion. Man’s allegiance to Satan determines the condition of his heart and all that flows from it. Mark’s gospel describes contents of the hearts of men because of the inheritance of sin from their original ancestor.
And he said, “What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man.” [Mark 7:20-23. RSV]
Said another way, the heart of a defiled man continually spews forth corrupted thoughts, feelings, and desires. Can we trust and follow such a heart to guide us through life? If not, where do we find guidance?
The Bible, God’s revealed word, provides the prescription for the redeeming the unregenerate heart. Regeneration occurs when man truly repents, turns to God, and accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. They are spiritually born again and in the process receive a new spiritual heart which comes with a desire to love and obey God. Spiritual rebirth results in a complete transition from the old sinful life in which man rebels again God and goes his own way to a new life evidenced by love and obedience to Jesus Christ. Attitudes and lifestyles are changed because man has been freed from the bondage of sin which allows him to fulfill God’s purposes for his life. Love replaces the vile things that once flowed out of an unregenerate heart.[6]
A purified heart allows man to come into an eternal relationship with his Creator. Because of the spiritual rebirth, man is empowered to pursue God’s purposes through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Donald Stamps gives an excellent insight to one facet of the role and work of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life.
When Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to his disciples on the day he rose from the dead, he was not “baptizing” them in the Spirit as they would later experience at Pentecost (Acts 1:5; 2-4). Rather, it was the first time the disciples actually received the spiritually renewing presence of the Holy Spirit…The Spirit now lived within them. The inner presence of the Holy Spirit is part of the new life that all Christ’s followers now receive at the time they accept Christ’s forgiveness and surrender their lives to him…This “receiving” of new life from the Spirit was a prerequisite to their receiving the authority of Jesus and their baptism in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost…All believers receive the Holy Spirit at the time of their spiritual birth…when they first accept God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Christ. After this, they can and should experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit for supernatural power to be Jesus’ witnesses and to spread his message.[7] [emphasis added]
Can a Christian follow his heart?
To answer this question we must examine how God directs and guides His followers. First, it must be said that God’s speaks to and guides all of His followers through His revealed word (the Bible) and the inner-workings of the Holy Spirit. When a Christian willfully or in a moment’s weakness disobeys God (sin), it is the power of God’s word and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit that speaks to the Christian by convicting him of sin through his conscience (i.e., man’s innate sense of right and wrong which exposes sin and calls for repentance and correction). If this convicting power is not heeded and repentance made, at some point the Christian returns to a life of sin and is once again separated from God.
God has a unique purpose and plan for every believer’s life. However, only His followers can fully achieve those plans and purposes which have their wellspring in a right relationship with the Creator. But there are many questions, decisions, and uncertainties in the lives of individual Christians which are not matters of overt sin or disobedience and which are not specifically addressed by God’s word. Here we turn again to the third member of the Trinity – The Holy Spirit.
Many excellent books have been written to explain and give understanding to the work and character of the Holy Spirit. But they reveal only a fleeting glimpse of the vastness of His divine nature and character. But for our purposes, we can turn to the Bible to glean an understanding of the many roles assigned to the Holy Spirit at the time of Christ’s resurrection. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer at the time of his spiritual renewal and sanctifies him. When the Holy Spirit sanctifies a believer, it is meant that He blesses, consecrates, purifies, approves, dedicates, and makes him holy. Although sanctification is immediate, it is also an ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer as he lives and grows in his Christian walk. In summary, the Holy Spirit cleanses, helps, leads, guides, and motivates the believer to a holy life; delivers him from the bondage of sin; teaches and guides him to all truth; and gives him comfort, joy, and help in all matters.[8]
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We now return to our question, “Can a Christian follow his heart?” The answer must contain an “if-then” clause. If a man is born again, obeys God’s Word, lives a Godly life, and seeks guidance through prayer, God will speak to and direct that man through all three chambers of his regenerate heart – his mind, emotions, and will. Then, and only then, may a Christian trust and follow his heart.
Larry G. Johnson
Sources:
[1] “To thine own self be true,” eNotes. https://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/thine-own-self-true (accessed January 9, 2017).
[2] Steve Jobs, “Quotation #38353- Quotation Details,” The Quotation Page. http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/38353.html”Steve Jobs (accessed January 9, 2017).
[3] Jalaluddin Rumi “Quotes about follow your heart,” Goodreads. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/follow-your-heart (accessed January9, 2017).
[4] Donald Stamps, Commentary-Jeremiah 17:9, Fire Bible: Global Study Edition, New International Version, Gen. Ed. Donald Stamps, (Published by Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC, Peabody, Massachusetts; Copyright 2009 by Life Publishers International, Springfield, Missouri), pp. 1062-1063.
[5] Stamps, Commentary-Jeremiah 17:9, Fire Bible: Global Study Edition, pp. 1306-1307. pp. 1306-1307.
[6] Stamps, Study Notes -“Regeneration: Spiritual Birth and Renewal,” Fire Bible: Global Study Edition, pp. 1915-1916.
[7] Stamps, Study Notes-“The Spiritual Rebirth of the Disciples,” Fire Bible: Global Study Edition, pp. 1966-1967.
[8] Stamps, Study Notes-“The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit,” Fire Bible: Global Study Edition, pp. 210-212.
