UN-Follow Your Heart

This statement is anti-culture, anti-popular, anti-everything-our-world-says.

I'm ready for the comments, the judgment.

That's ok.

Really.

If you're still reading, you're either fuming and ready to blow up...

Or interested...

Either way, I hope you stay with me.

"Follow your heart" says every Disney movie, every RomCom, every person wanting to 'live their best life', every flattering advice given.

How's that working out for you?

Really, I'm genuinely curious.

I don't know a lot of things.

But from what I see in the news, and hear just being a person in a room, grocery store, employee lunch and discussion group, and fly the on the wall...following your heart isn't really getting us anywhere.

ANYWHERE.

Suicide rates are off the chart, depression on the rise, higher divorce rates and broken families than any other time in history, debt deficits are an endless chasm swallowing anyone who's 'following their heart' or the 'deserves it' hole.

Without hesitation.

Maybe we need to look at the landscape we've created by 'following our heart',

'our truth',

or 'living your best life.'

If the flow of following your heart is so great, why does the finish line always come up empty, bare, and not what we expected?

Maybe because we, as humans with choice, were never meant to navigate with the 'follow your heart' compass.

Since the beginning, we were given the gift of choice.

The first account of humans in history followed their heart.

And society collapsed.

The world as it was originally designed became undone.

Forever.

And has never been the same.

The accounts of history are repetitive- desires of the heart, power, gold, prestige, position, selfishness, and evil have infiltrated every generation since the beginning of time.

Because we, as superior beings, choose to follow our hearts.

And we must be right.

Right?

Maybe not....

If I followed my heart while my son is going through chemotherapy, requiring 24 hour care, 7 days a week, I would still be drinking. And smoking.

Because that's what my heart wants.

My heart wants to take care of ME.

I think that's it right there....

Following your heart is taking care of you.

AND ONLY YOU.

We are born with us in mind.

Maybe that's why following your heart feels so right, so easy....because we were born with a natural bend towards self-preservation.

But just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Just because you have 4 credit cards you can max them out 'because you deserve it.'

Just because you had a hard day, you deserve that drink.

Just because you found someone who better fits you doesn't mean you deserve to leave your spouse and blow up your family.

Have you ever followed your heart to your desire and the end was emptiness?

Or left you wanting more?

Of something?

Following the path of your heart left you with an unexpected restlessness.

And THAT surprised you.

When you've needed to step up, what's the next step?

Usually we put aside what our heart wants and pull up our boot straps, grab some coffee, put your hair in a bun, and handle it.

What is 'putting aside?'

Breaking 'putting aside' is the putting away of your heart's path.

And following another path.

A wiser path.

And sometimes this wiser path surprises us.

What if you were designed for THIS path?

What if we were never designed to follow our hearts?

What if we were designed to follow the unselfish path?

The servant's path.

Well, you say, that doesn't sound very fun.

EXACTLY.

Maybe we weren't designed to live for fun.

Stay with me- living for fun is different than enjoying moments of fun in life.

The man who changed the world didn't follow His heart.

The man who changed the world enjoyed others.

He did NOT follow his heart.

He followed something greater.

And He lived a great life.

A selfless life.

And He changed the world.

He changed the game for humanity.

His selfless life made a way for total acceptance, total completeness, total love, total forgiveness.

He changed the game for humanity by NOT following His heart.

Historical biblical accounts reveal the damage, destruction, and desolation of following your heart.

Over and Over.

His chosen tribe always seemed to want their own regardless of His countless miraculous interventions.

And they were scattered, defeated, diseased.

Their defiance of His way, His way of endless love and acceptance, their 'follow their heart' decisions changed the game for the rest of their history.

That's not a maybe. The historical accounts of His chosen people clearly demonstrate miraculous separation when they 'followed their heart.'

But...

Historical accounts also demonstrate His unwavering devotion, love, chance after chance pursuit to let Him love them, protect them.

And every time His chosen come back, He did just that.

He protected, loved, restored, united, conquered.

He stayed.

You aren't discarded or forgotten when you 'follow your heart.'

You may be miraculously separated from Him because of your choice.

But you are always pursued, watched, encouraged to come back.

Because that's what His heart wants.

That's the Heart Path to follow.

HIS HEART-BECAUSE HE IS FOR YOU NOT AGAINST YOU.

Sometimes I think about how much I love my kids, want to kiss them and hug them and they don't want my love in that moment...

Sometimes I think about God's love...how much He has to RESTRAIN His love...because we don't want it right now.

Because His love doesn't measure up to 'our heart's path.'

THANK GOD.

One of the wisest historical figures stated, "The heart is deceitful above all else, who can know it?"

For Believers in Jesus Christ, our path looks different.

And it should.

Because we follow the Greatest Servant.

Who gave up everything for others.

And I think that's the difference right there.

Why do you always feel better when you help someone? Give something of yourself? Your resources?

And that feeling lasts longer than anything this world has offered you?

Because of your original design.

To follow His heart.

You may not believe me.

I get the not-living-for-yourself-unfollow-your-heart life sounds boring.

I do offer a challenge...

Try another path for a while.

Try His heart path for a while.

If this challenge is accepted...

Hang on, you're in the for wildest ride of your life.

Don't believe me?

Try it.

Try Him.

Try following His heart.

He's been waiting for you since you were born.

You were created for His path.

You were created to follow HIS HEART Path.

Are you ready?