We hear a lot of talk these days about listening to and following our hearts, and about being true to ourselves. We hear arguments about it, don’t we; about the dangers of following or not following our hearts or not being true to ourselves.
I want to show you through Bible Scriptures why following your heart is dangerous and wrong. But I also want to show through Bible Scriptures how you can come to the place where you can follow your heart with joy and in safety.
First, let’s understand the dangers and the damage of following our heart:
• Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. Proverbs 12:25
• Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12
• There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief. The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways. The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless. Proverbs 14:12-16
• As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Proverbs 27:19
• The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:9-10
• You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27-28
• For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
• You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:34
• And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:20-23
• For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21
Thank God that is not the end of the story!
If you are still reading (and I pray that you are), there are many more Bible verses that instruct us on how we can have a pure heart. Let’s explore these Scriptures and learn how we can have a heart that we can follow confidently and safely, knowing that we are thinking, acting and speaking what is right.
• But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. Joshua 22:5
• “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” Joshua 24:23
• But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24
• But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
• Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. Psalm 24:3-4
• Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24
• Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
• The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17
• Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11
• Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12
• Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. Psalm 119:2
• Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Psalm 119:36
• My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Proverbs 3:1-2
• Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4
• Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
• My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart. Proverbs 4:20-21
• Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23
• The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin. Proverbs 10:8
• A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30
• A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:13
• A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22
• My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed. Proverbs 23:15
• Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Ecclesiastes 9:7
• So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless. Ecclesiastes 11:10
• Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Song of songs 8:6
• You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
• “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Joel 2:12
• Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:13
• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8
• Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37
• Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Mark 11:23
• To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. Mark 12:33
• For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:10
• Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
• The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5
• See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12
• For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
• Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22
• Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
Now, we clearly know what the difference is between a deceitful heart and a clean heart. We have learned by the guidance of the Holy Spirit what our part is in having a clean heart.
So, what does it require to keep our hearts from returning to their deceitful state?
• I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1
• But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. Psalm 13:5-6
• May these words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
• Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. Psalm 26:2
• Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. Psalm 27:3
• My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26
• I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. Psalm 119:7
• I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. Psalm 119:10
• I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11
• Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. Psalm 119:111
If we are willing to entrust our hearts to the One who created us and give ourselves back to Him, He promises His faithfulness to do what only He can do through the work of Christ Jesus upon the cross.
• He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
• And 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, Ezekiel 11:19
• I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
• And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
• Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5
When we surrender our will and our ways back to God, we can have confidence in the Holy Spirit that our thoughts, actions, and speech are of the same character and mindset as our Savior, Christ the Lord, for we are one with Him when we are born again.
Because of this, it pleases our Father to honor His promises toward us, knowing that our desires are also His. And that is how you will know when you can safely follow your heart.
• May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. Psalm 20:4
• Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
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