“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
~ The Lord | Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)

Are You Sure?

In our church service a couple of weeks ago a woman stood up to give her testimony. “Follow your heart!” she said as she explained how she made a major decision in her life. I felt a twinge in my gut as soon as she said it. I don’t know the origin, but the idea is that somehow your heart knows something intuitively about where you should go. But does it? This is one of those sayings, passed along over the years, that doesn’t ring true.

Bad Leaders

The heart has come to represent the center of our emotions… so much so that the very image of love is the picture of a heart. Are emotions good leaders? My track record says a resounding “no!” Yet God created us in his image and, without question, he wired us with emotions. Emotions are highly valued by God! Can you envision the joyful smile on God’s face after he has finished creating the Earth and everything in it?

If God values emotions so highly, why does so much scripture instruct us to tame them?

“And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you.’ Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”
The Apostle Paul | Ephesians 4:26-27

It’s as if emotions are dangerous…and when backed by our humanness, they are. Hence, they make bad leaders and worse, become an onramp for the devil. Apparently, he goes around looking for these chinks in our armor. Watch out!

Good Team Members

If not to lead us, then what did God create emotions for? Without emotions, love loses its luster. Imagine having no anger if a child was killed by a drunk driver… we’d be drones! Paul doesn’t say, “don’t be angry”, just to not let it control us. In other words, be aware of it, but don’t let it take you where it wants you to go.

I like to think of emotions as a thermometer. When it is cold out, the thermometer informs us, but we get to decide whether to wear a coat. In life, emotions create tensions within us. Much like two elephants pulling us in opposite directions, the tension formed when something that’s easy (with questionable consequences) works to move us away from doing something hard (but ultimately fruitful) can be very instructive. Our hearts generally prefer the easy route.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
The Apostle Paul | Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

Self-control, a fruit of the Spirit, gives us what we need to overrule our heart. Much like knowing the temperature before you go outside, your emotional tensions add value to your decisions when you learn to recognize them and consider their input. When facing key life decisions, imagine standing above yourself and observing, considering, and letting the emotional tension add to your decision-making process. Self-control makes emotions good team members.

More Good Team Members

It’s been said that “You are where you are based on the decisions you have made up to this point” (this is the bad news). The good news is “you will be where you are in the future based on the decisions you make from this day forward.” Making good decisions makes all the difference in the world. Following your emotions leads to bad decisions. You might ask, “Who or what should I follow then?” Your answer is super important.

Some will answer, “The mind” reasoning that logical thinking leads to good outcomes. Yet logic decimates emotion, stripping its value, assigning no weight to it. Imagine deciding on your future spouse strictly based on logic… Heavens no! Like emotions, consider logic a good team member.

Surely the advice of close friends and family must be the way to go, yes? Would you become you if you did everything others told you to do? Certainly, like emotions and logical thinking, people who know you well can add great value to you, but like the others, as team members, not leaders.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
The Apostle Paul | Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

Emotional tensions, logical thinking, people who know you well…the table of advisors is filling…who is the leader? God works in mysterious ways, calling on yet another member at the table; His word, which penetrates and vets the other members. Sharper than a double-edged sword, it cuts to the core and brings out the truth from all of the members. How often is this core member kept away from the table? The other members don’t like being subjected to Biblical quality control. Don’t neglect this one!

Who’s the Leader Then?

God’s work is not finished. When we opened our hearts to receive the gift of salvation offered by Jesus, we signed over control of our life to him. Wisely, he gifts us with the Holy Spirit to be your Advocate, you might say the Chairman of your Board of Directors, there to connect all of the dots and advise your spirit, the decision maker… Spirit to spirit.

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Jesus Christ | John 14:26 (NIV)   

 Under such high-powered leadership, your team will lead you to make excellent decisions. Your future self will be quite pleased with the decisions your present self makes with such wonderful and comprehensive team. Better still, align yourself with your unique Life Mission and have a powerful basis to make life changing decisions. Don’t know your Life Mission? Find it by taking our free Mini-Course at https://www.missioncurve.com/  These 3 steps will change your life, guaranteed.

Let’s talk.