What Do You Let Your Heart Do?

I recently came across a phrase in my Bible reading that has got me thinking. Three different times, in different places, I read, Do not let your heart, or Let not your heart. Interesting. We live in a day when we are lead to believe that we don't have any control over our hearts. Take, for example, the term, "falling in love". The implication is that we tumble into love, helplessly careening down the slope, wherever our emotions take us. Or the term, "follow your heart", as if our heart will lead us to only the best places.

The Bible, however, tells us something completely different. I see two major implications from these repeated phrases. First, we are commanded to not let our hearts do certain things. That tells me that we, through the power of the Holy Spirit, do not need to follow wherever our heart may try to lead us. Second, the fact that we are told to not let our heart take us certain places implies that our heart will naturally tend to do that, and it's not always a good place to go! Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" Proverbs 28:26 bluntly states, "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool".

So what does God tell us to not let our heart do? This list is not exhaustive, but here are the three verses I recently read.

Proverbs 23:17, "Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always." We are not to let our hearts envy sinners. Our world portrays sin as normal, even desireable. The 'sinners' are the ones who really have it made, who enjoy life. We are constantly inundated with this subtle message. Yet it is a lie. In Psalm 73, Asaph tells how he fell into the trap of thinking this way. In verse 3 he says, "For I was envious of the arrogant, as I saw the prosperity of the wicked." He also expresses what he was thinking in verse 13, "Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure, and washed my hands in innocence." He was dismayed by his erroneous thinking, "until I came into the sanctuary of God," in verse 17. As he looked at things from God's perspective, he realized his thinking had been, "senseless and ignorant," verse 22. The remedy for our heart's envying sinners is to live in the fear of the Lord always. When the Lord has our focus, our respect, our worship, when we are living to please and honor Him, we will not be led astray by our foolish hearts.

Proverbs 24:17 says, "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles." Isn't that our human tendency? We cheer for the good guy (us), and root against the bad guy (anyone who is opposed to us). Sometimes we are oppressed, and justice serves to exonerate us and put the blame on our enemy. While justice is good, and ultimately all sinners will face God's judgement, what should our attitude be to our personal enemies? Not rejoicing when they stumble. In Luke 6:27-28 Jesus says, "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Romans 12:17-21 instructs us, "Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'vengeance is mine I will repay,' says the Lord. 'But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

John 14:1 says, "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." Here we are commanded to not let our hearts be troubled. Over and over the Bible tells us to do not fear or do not fret. Why? Because that's what our hearts our prone to do! I think women, especially mothers, are particularly skilled at this! Instead we are to believe in God. We must abandon our own fears, our own worries, our own perceptions, our own preferences, our own expectations, our own analysis of the situation, and trust in the Lord. He is in control. He is at work for our good and His glory.

So don't follow your heart wherever it may try to take you. Follow the Lord. His ways are perfect. His word is sure.