I found this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson recently, and it really got me thinking about the idea of following one’s heart. Depending on who you ask, following your heart is either how one should make decisions or something to avoid at all cost.
Most don’t realize how controversial this topic is, but discussions can get pretty heated when they’re about this. For today’s post, I’d love to hear from you. What do you think this quote means? What was Emerson saying?
What are your thoughts on following your heart? Is it really what one should do when making decisions, or does it only lead people in the wrong direction?
Comment below, and I encourage you to interact with one another in a discussion – respectfully, of course. Who is the first brave soul to comment?
Misty Fitch | Fearfully Made 
“The heart is deceitful above all else, and desperately wicked, who can know it?” Jetemiah 17:9
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I was wondering when this scripture would come up. Thank you for posting! Now, I’m going to stir the pot just a little. I, too, have heard this scripture in reference to trusting/following your heart, and I have given it to those I’ve mentored. However, I took time last year to study this scripture in full context, and if you read the entire chapter in Jeremiah, and those surrounding it, you’ll see when we’ve quoted this particular verse to tell why trusting your heart isn’t the way to go, we’ve quoted it out of context.
Jeremiah was doing God’s work, but he wasn’t happy about the results he was seeing. He was only reaching a few people rather than “a multitude,” so he felt he wasn’t successful. So even though he was doing God’s work, he was doing it for the wrong reasons. He was doing God’s work in order to be credited for the work he was doing. Finish reading that verse and verse 10, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
Then, look at the full chapter. God is saying he sees the motives behind the actions, and he pointed out that Jeremiah’s heart was deceitful — making it appear he was doing what was right, and people viewed it that way. But God knew the real reason in his heart. His heart was deceiving those around Jeremiah.
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Yes – i did not elaborate on purpose. But it is of my conviction that we cannot always trust our motive. We are only human. Instead of asking our heart – we should ask God. He alone knows all things. Its impossible for us not to have even a degree of selfish motive. We just cant help it! It is just our nature – Even when we are doing God’s work. Not to say that God does not wish for us the same dreams we wish for ourselves, i believe He created us and who we are and what we want. We just need to seek His authority to check ourselves and our motives. i Wish I remembered this in EVERY decision big AND small. I have a long way to go! My whole purpose in responding was just to strike a chord. Our society (including myself) is geared toward “follow your heart”. And that can be a great thing when our heart is in line with God’s.
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You said “My whole purpose in responding was just to strike a chord. Our society (including myself) is geared toward “follow your heart”. And that can be a great thing when our heart is in line with God’s”
This is why I wrote the post. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing.
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