Follow Your Heart?

Few days ago I saw a book in someone’s room. The name of the book is “学会做选择” (Learn to make choice), with a Chinese proverb as the subtitle “鱼与熊掌，不可兼得” (You cannot have both the fish and the paw of the bear). In our life we need to make many choices, we have to make many decisions, from simple to important decisions.

Nowadays we heard many people say such words, “Follow your heart”, or “Listen what you heart says”. It sounds very nice, but is it wise to ‘follow our heart’?

Few years ago, there is a person, who faced some problems in life, and cannot overcome it, so he decides to commit suicide. Few minutes before he commits suicide, he posts something on Facebook, stating that he got problems in life. Many of his friends want to support him by giving comments such as, “Follow your heart, do what you think is right, we will always support you.” In the end, that person ‘follows his heart’ and really commits suicide.

So should we really ‘follow our hearts’?  Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Not only our heart is deceitful, it is beyond cure. So it is clear that we shouldn’t follow our hearts, which are deceitful. So what should we follow? Nicky Gumble suggested a few CS’s that we should follow.

1. Commanding Scripture 圣经

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. 

Psalm 119:105 

It should be clear to all of us that why the Scripture should be the thing that we follow, because it is the very words from God, which is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

2. Compelling Spirit and Prayers 圣灵 + 祷告

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, 

saying, "This is the way; walk in it." 

Isaiah 30:21

 

But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. 

Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.... 

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. 

He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, 

and he will tell you what is yet to come.

John 16:7, 13

Though Christ has ascended to the right hand of God, but He sends the Holy Spirit to guide us in our life.

3. Common Sense / Logic 逻辑

After we are born again, we are not commanded to throw away our common sense, In the morning we wake up and deciding whether want to go to class / lecture or not. The Bible gives us principles in making decision, but didn’t give specific commands, such as whether we should go to class or not, so sometime we need to use our common sense, but common sense is not same as ‘follow your heart’. Our deceitful hearts will says ‘You don’t have to go to class since it is wasting your time’, but our common sense tells us that we should go, because it is our responsibilities as a student to go to class and lectures.

4. Counsel of Saints 信徒的忠告

Plans fail for lack of counsel, 

but with many advisers they succeed. 

Proverb 15:22

We as Christians are not to walk alone in our pilgrimage. We as a part of the body of Christ, should walk, and grow together in Christ. We should always ready to seek advices from other brothers and sisters, and ready to give advices to those who seek.

Four Questions When Making Choices

1. What effect will my decision have on me spiritually?

2. What will the next decision have to be?

3. If I make this choice how will it affect my testimony?

4. If I make this choice how will it affect others close to me?

We, as christians, are followers of Christ, and what we do, will affect how people see the One that we follow, because christians are the window through which other people see Jesus Christ. So next time when you need to make a decision or choice (especially an important decision), rather than ‘follow you heart’, consider these 4 CS’s and these 4 questions.

Do not follow your heart, but rather, lead your heart. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Proverb 4:23)

____________________

In his heart a man plans his course, 

but the LORD determines his steps. 

Proverbs 16:9