Golden Rule – The Desk of the Renaissance Man

The other day I stumbled upon this quote:

If there ever was one concept that would never steer you wrong, it would be: “Follow Your Heart” True, at times following your heart may seem reckless and may result in some embarrassing or uncomfortable situations. However, following your heart is not about being comfortable and not about getting approval. It’s about achieving all your dreams and fantasies. It’s about finding and living in your life’s passion. It’s about truly feeling alive and courageous.
Source: http://www.wakundama.com/FollowTheHeart.html

Yet the Bible says amongst others :

“The heart is deceitful above all things ,and desperately wicked: who can know it ?” Jeremiah 17:12

“He that trusts in his own heart is a FOOL : but whosoever walks wisely, he shall be delivered.” Proverbs 28:26

“Just follow your heart, follow where your heart leads you, trust your gut.”
It seems almost like common wisdom and it is what we are taught so very often. And in all fairness, I have probably lived most of my life like this. Some will try to make it more convincing and make the heart the place in your body associated with “love”. And hey, the Golden Rule will probably indicate that love (and compassion) are worthy pursuits. Is it not amazing how such a common place wisdom seems to be set aside when you read the Bible.

Yet, it is when we see what Jesus said that things start to fall in place:

³⁷Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22 NIV

When we are made to believe that we should follow our heart it is from a New Age, Law of Attraction type of perspective that still places us as individuals in the center of the universe.

People who follow their heart’s desire are the most successful. When you follow your heart’s desire, it is not a matter of whether you will have it, it is only a matter of time. You will always have what you want when you follow your heart’s desire. When you follow your true heart’s desires, you will live a life where everything you ever wanted will be available to you, and you will be loving every minute of it as you’re on the path towards them. Your true heart’s desires will also inspire you to take the right action whenever it will serve to bring the fulfillment of your desires….
Our emotions are what activates the law of attraction. Your heart’s desire creates the most powerful emotions that you can experience and therefore has the most emotional and magnetic attracting power, which can overcome any and all obstacles to make it a reality. When your heart’s desire is driving you, nothing or no one is able to stop you.When your heart and mind is set on something, you will never give up. You will do whatever it takes to achieve it.
http://www.mindreality.com/you-can-always-get-what-your-heart-desires-most

But that changes dramatically when your heart is focused on something else: on God. Yet in all fairness, very often our hearts (my heart) are not focused on God, on the Godly but on the very carnal, hence the warning. I find myself often wondering and waiting as a result: Is this what I want for God or what God wants for me and if all fails, is it actually what I want for me. I guess more than once it is the last but not least. Things started to change when I got a grasp of
Psalm 37: 4:

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

As I delight myself in the Lord, He give me His desires. He creates and places within my heart new and holy desires. And with that I begin to delight in the things that He delights in. I start to want what He wants. Following him becomes a joy. Some will say effortless, but for me it is more than once a harsh reality check. I try to set of my heart against His voice. And in all fairness they often do not match, but hey I am a new and learning Christian as if this really makes a difference. But God has His own word on it:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3: 5-6

I guess for me the most important message in this proverb is to let Him direct my paths. More than once His paths do not make immediate sense to me. But then again those occasions where I managed to get of get of my high horse I have found that He knows better. It is too easy almost to ignore that gentle voice directing you in directions you actually do not want to go. But as said time and time He appears to be the better lead to follow. It is in that realization, that following your heart is dangerous – unless your heart and God’s heart are aligned perfectly – that I (you will) find myself (yourself) staying on course for the better. It is when my hearts desires are no longer mine but God’s desires for me pressed upon my heart, and me (trying hard to be) being ready to follow up on that that things work out for the better.

So what are you going to follow? Your own heart or His voice?