Should a Christian follow their heart?
Introduction
The popular cultural axiom is to "follow your heart." It is touted as the path to authenticity and happiness. However, this phrase stands in direct and sharp opposition to the clear teaching of the Bible.
The difference lies in the definition: the secular world views the "heart" as the pure, inner core of wisdom and good intention. The biblical view—informed by the Fall of Man—sees the human heart as the source of our deepest sin and confusion until it is radically transformed by Christ. Therefore, the Christian cannot afford to trust their own unbridled desires.
Three Reasons Not to Follow Your Heart
The Bible gives explicit reasons why the heart is an unreliable guide and offers a superior path for direction.
1. The Heart is Fundamentally Deceitful (The Warning)
The most direct biblical warning against following the heart comes from the Prophet Jeremiah, addressing the state of the human soul after the Fall.
A Sick Guide: Jeremiah issues a severe spiritual caution: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). This verse teaches that our deepest feelings and intuitions are often skewed, unreliable, and prone to self-justification and sin. If our internal compass is broken, following it will lead us off course.
The Origin of Sin: Jesus Himself reiterated this warning, identifying the heart as the factory of moral failure: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:19). Relying on the unregenerate heart is relying on a source that generates sin.
2. We are Commanded to Follow Truth, Not Feelings (The Path)
If we are not to follow our hearts, we must follow an objective, external standard that cannot be corrupted. That standard is the Word of God.
The Lamp for Our Feet: The only reliable guide for life is God’s revealed truth, which stands in contrast to our subjective feelings: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). Guidance is not an internal hunch but a faithful application of the Scripture.
A Disciplined Mind: Christians are commanded to transform their thinking, not simply trust their emotions: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). Discerning God's will is a matter of testing and rational judgment informed by the Holy Spirit and Scripture, not emotional following.
3. The Regenerated Heart Follows a New Master (The Gospel Cure)
The Gospel offers hope by proposing a solution: the transformation of the heart through salvation. The Christian receives a "new heart," but this new heart must still be actively discipled.
A New Heart: God promises to replace the stone-like, unyielding heart of the sinner with a responsive one: “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
Following the Shepherd: Once saved, the Christian’s highest priority is not self-expression but obedience to Christ. Our transformed desires align with His will, not because our feelings are flawless, but because our loyalty is fixed on Him. True fulfillment is found in taking up our cross and following Jesus, even when that contradicts what the "heart" desires (Luke 9:23).
Conclusion
The Christian does not follow their fickle, fallen heart. They follow the fixed, flawless Word of God and the person of Jesus Christ.
The goal of the Christian life is not to find your true, inner self, but to lose your life in the service of Christ and gain everything (Matthew 16:25). When in doubt, bypass your feelings and look to the objective truth of Scripture and the commands of the Savior.
