Eric Hamilton
The phrase “follow your heart” echoes throughout countless movies, TV shows, and books. It’s a mantra that promises resolution and happiness. In these stories, characters wrestle with competing motivations such as logic, societal expectations, or tradition, until they cast aside these barriers and embrace their heart’s desires. The result? A satisfying ending that leaves us feeling good, as if the heart is an infallible guide to what is right.
But what does it mean to follow your heart? Is it always a path to satisfaction as our movies often tell us?
When we talk about the heart in this way, we are not referring to the physical organ pumping blood through our bodies. That muscle, vital as it is, doesn’t dictate our emotions. Yet, we instinctively understand the heart as the seat of our deepest feelings, those powerful, often irrational impulses that drive us. The Bible frequently addresses this emotional heart, portraying it as a force that shapes our actions, for better or worse. For example, Jesus tells us, “…what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart” (Matthew 15:18).
The cultural message of “follow your heart” suggests that our heart’s desires are inherently good. If something feels right, it must be right; if it feels wrong, something’s amiss. Yet, this oversimplification ignores the darker side of human emotions. People justify destructive behaviors—infidelity, greed, hatred, even murder—by claiming their hearts led them there. The notion of “crimes of passion” reflects this reality, implying that intense emotions can override moral responsibility. But what does the Bible say?
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus declares the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This command is significant for several reasons. First, it reveals that God prioritizes a love relationship with us, one that engages every part of our being, starting with the heart. If God commands us to love Him with all our heart, it implies we have control over where our heart’s affections lie. If we had no control, how could a just God hold us accountable for failing to love Him? Saying, “My heart just doesn’t feel it,” isn’t an excuse. We have the ability to guide our heart’s affections, to choose what we love and value. This responsibility challenges the idea that our heart’s impulses are beyond our control.
In Matthew 15:10-20, Jesus addresses a confrontation with the Pharisees, who criticized His disciples for not following traditional rituals. The Pharisees believed that strict adherence to rules, such as ritual washings, made a person holy and right before God. Jesus, however, shifts the focus from external actions to the internal state of the heart. He explains, “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:18-19). These words are striking: the heart is the source of both good and evil action. Jesus’ teaching reveals a profound truth: our words and deeds are a direct reflection of what resides in our hearts. If our heart is filled with love, joy, peace, and kindness, our actions will reflect those virtues. But if our heart harbors revenge, pride, selfishness, or greed, those too will manifest in our behavior. The heart is not an unerring guide to goodness; it can just as easily lead us to destruction as to fulfillment. Jesus emphasizes that everything we do stems from what is already inside us. This makes the heart a powerful motivator, for better or worse.
Consider the struggle of living a righteous life. God calls us to love our enemies, but what happens when our heart clings to hatred? Intellectually, we may know we should follow God’s command, but if our heart values hatred over love, obedience feels wrong. This internal conflict often leads people to abandon the righteous path because their heart isn’t in it. As Jesus says in Matthew 6:21, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If we treasure God above all, our heart aligns with His will. But if we treasure pride, hatred, or sin, our heart pulls us in that direction. Self-control becomes a much easier task when our heart desires what is right, but it’s a battle when our heart craves what is wrong.
For those who want to follow God but find their heart uncooperative, there is hope. The Bible assures us that God, the creator of our hearts, can transform them. In Ezekiel 11:19-20, God promises, “I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them.” Similarly, Romans 12:1-2 urges us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice and be transformed by the renewal of our mind. These passages reveal that God can reshape our heart’s affections, aligning them with His will.
Changing the heart isn’t about self-condemnation or striving to be “good enough” for God. It’s about recognizing our heart’s deficits and surrendering them to God’s transformative power. If we desire to let go of hatred and embrace love, or to release selfishness and value others, we can pray for God to change our heart. This process requires humility and trust, acknowledging that only God can make us whole.
The heart is a powerful force, capable of leading us to great good or profound evil. We are responsible for guiding its affections, choosing to love God and align our desires with His will. When our heart leads us astray, God offers the promise of transformation, replacing a heart of stone with one that longs for Him. Rather than blindly following our heart, we should seek God’s guidance to shape it, ensuring that what proceeds from our heart reflects His love and righteousness. By surrendering our heart to God, we find the path to a life that is truly whole.
