July 10|Don't Follow Your Heart: The Shocking Biblical Truth from Jeremiah 17:9 That Changes Everything
You know what advice literally everyone gives these days?
"Follow your heart."
It's plastered on every motivational poster. It's the climax of every romantic comedy. It's the centerpiece of every graduation speech that's supposed to inspire you to greatness.
But what if I told you this advice might be the exact reason you keep making decisions you regret?
The Uncomfortable Truth About Your Heart
Look, I get it. Following your heart sounds romantic. It feels authentic, like you're being true to yourself. It's the advice that makes you feel empowered and in control.
But here's the thing nobody talks about: Your heart is kind of a terrible GPS.
Think about it for a moment. How many times has your heart told you to:
Text that ex at 2 AM when you knew you shouldn't?
Buy something you couldn't afford because it "felt right"?
Say something in anger you couldn't take back?
Make a career move that seemed perfect but turned into a disaster?
Trust someone who showed all the red flags?
Yeah, me too. And there's actually a really good reason for this pattern of heart-led disasters.
What God Knows That Modern Culture Forgot
See, God knew something about us that modern culture seems to have forgotten. In Jeremiah 17:9, He drops this truth bomb that's about as far from Instagram-worthy as you can get:
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"
Whoa. That's not exactly the kind of verse you see on coffee mugs and throw pillows, is it?
But stick with me here, because God's not being harsh. He's being honest. He's being the friend who loves you enough to tell you the truth, even when it's uncomfortable.
Your heart—those feelings, impulses, desires that seem so real and urgent—they're not neutral. They're actually pretty unreliable guides for life's biggest decisions.
Understanding the Deception
The word "deceitful" in Jeremiah 17:9 doesn't just mean your heart tells little white lies. The Hebrew word used here implies something that's crooked, polluted, and incurably sick. It's the same word used to describe Jacob's deceptive behavior when he stole his brother's blessing.
Your heart doesn't just mislead you occasionally. It's systematically unreliable. It's biased toward:
Immediate gratification over long-term wisdom
Comfort over growth
Self-preservation over sacrifice
What feels good over what is good
The Toddler Behind the Wheel
Now, before you think I'm saying to become some emotionless robot, hear me out. God gave you emotions for a reason. They're signals. They're important data points. They add color and meaning to life.
But they're terrible leaders.
Think of your heart like a toddler. Super cute. Full of energy. Absolutely delightful in the right context. But would you let a toddler:
Drive your car?
Make your financial decisions?
Choose your spouse?
Plan your career?
Decide what you eat for every meal?
Of course not. That would be insane. Yet that's basically what "follow your heart" tells you to do—hand over the steering wheel of your life to the emotional equivalent of a two-year-old.
The Divine Alternative
So what's the alternative? Are we supposed to suppress all feelings and become calculating machines?
Not at all. Right after that verse in Jeremiah, God says something beautiful:
"I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind."
See, God knows your heart better than you do. He sees past the deception. Past the confusion. Past the mixed motives and the self-justification. He understands the "why" behind every feeling, every impulse, every desire.
And He's given us something way better than just our feelings to guide us:
His Word
His wisdom
His Spirit
His people
A Practical Framework for Decision-Making
Here's what this looks like practically. When you're facing a big decision, instead of just asking "What do I feel like doing?" try this four-question framework:
1. What Does Scripture Say About This?
God's Word provides timeless principles that apply to modern situations. While the Bible might not specifically address whether you should take that job in Seattle, it does speak to:
How to handle money
How to treat people
What priorities should guide your life
How to think about the future
What character qualities to pursue
2. What Would the Wisest Person I Know Advise?
Proverbs is full of exhortations to seek wise counsel. Your feelings exist in an echo chamber, but wisdom comes from outside perspectives. Who in your life has:
Made decisions you admire?
Weathered storms with grace?
Built something lasting?
Demonstrated godly character over time?
3. What Decision Would I Be Proud of in 10 Years?
Your heart is terrible at long-term thinking. It's wired for immediate gratification. But wisdom thinks in decades, not days. This question forces you to consider:
The compound effect of your choices
The person you're becoming
The legacy you're building
The example you're setting
4. What Honors God Most?
This is the ultimate filter. Sometimes multiple options could be good choices, but asking this question elevates your decision-making from good to best. It considers:
How your choice affects your witness
Whether it aligns with God's character
If it serves others or just yourself
Whether it builds God's kingdom
A Personal Story of Heart vs. Wisdom
I learned this the hard way. A few years back, my heart was screaming at me to take this job opportunity. Everything about it felt perfect:
More money (significantly more)
Better title (the kind that looks great on LinkedIn)
Closer to home (goodbye, soul-crushing commute)
Exciting company (the kind everyone's talking about)
My heart was doing backflips. Every feeling pointed toward "YES!"
But when I prayed about it, something felt off. When I sought wise counsel, red flags appeared:
The company culture didn't align with my values
The demands would cost my family time
The role would pull me away from ministry opportunities
Several mentors independently expressed concerns
My heart said yes. Wisdom said no. I turned it down.
Six months later, that company folded. Everyone got laid off. The CEO was investigated for fraud. My "deceitful heart" almost led me into a disaster that would have affected my family, my finances, and my faith.
The Weather vs. Gravity Principle
Here's a helpful way to think about it: Your feelings are like weather. They:
Change constantly
Are influenced by external factors
Can be intense but temporary
Are unpredictable
Are affected by everything from what you ate to how much sleep you got
But God's truth? That's like gravity:
Constant
Reliable
Always there whether you feel it or not
Unaffected by your circumstances
Operating according to unchanging laws
You wouldn't jump off a building just because you don't "feel" gravity at the moment. So why make life decisions based solely on feelings that change with the wind?
The Transformation Process
Here's the really good news. When you stop following your heart and start following God's wisdom, something amazing happens: Your heart actually starts to change.
It's like tuning an instrument. The more you align your heart with God's truth, the more trustworthy it becomes. This isn't about killing your desires—it's about sanctifying them. It's about your heart learning to want what God wants.
This transformation includes:
Your desires becoming aligned with God's will
Your emotions becoming more stable and reliable
Your impulses being filtered through wisdom
Your feelings serving their proper role as informants, not directors
Common Objections Addressed
"But Doesn't God Want Me to Be Happy?"
Yes! But He wants you to have joy that lasts, not just happiness that's here today and gone tomorrow. Following every impulse of your heart might make you happy for a moment, but it rarely leads to lasting joy.
"Isn't This Just Being Inauthentic?"
Actually, following God's wisdom is the most authentic thing you can do. You were created by God, for God. Living according to His design isn't fake—it's you becoming who you really are.
"What About When God Puts Desires in Our Hearts?"
Great question! God does plant desires in our hearts. But even those need to be tested against Scripture, wisdom, and godly counsel. The desires God plants will always align with His Word and character.
The Path Forward
So next time you're about to make a decision based purely on feelings, pause. Take a breath. Remember Jeremiah 17:9. And ask God to:
Search your heart
Show you what's really going on in there
Lead you by His wisdom, not your whims
Transform your desires to match His
Because here's the truth: God's not trying to kill your dreams. He's trying to save you from nightmares disguised as dreams. He's not trying to make you miserable. He's trying to lead you to joy that actually lasts.
A Prayer for Wisdom Over Feelings
Let's end with a prayer:
God, You know our hearts better than we do. You see past our self-deception, past our mixed motives, past our confusion. Help us to stop treating our feelings like our god and start treating You like our God. Give us wisdom when our hearts pull us toward what looks good but isn't good. Teach us to test our feelings against Your truth, to seek wise counsel, to pause before we leap. Transform our deceitful hearts into hearts that beat in rhythm with Yours. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Your Next Step
The next time you face a decision—big or small—try the four-question framework. Write down your answers. Share them with someone wise. And watch how God uses His wisdom to lead you to better outcomes than your feelings ever could.
Remember: Your heart needs a leader, not a crown. Let God's truth guide, and watch your feelings follow.
Your future self will thank you.
An Invitation to go Deeper….
If today’s message spoke to you, join the FaithLabz 30-Day Prayer Challenge and strengthen your connection with God’s unshakable love. You are never alone—let’s grow together!
