Just Follow Your Heart?

So, in January, I just happened across the reality tv show, The Bachelor, in Snowshoe, WV, after a long day of skiing. It was the opening night of the show, and it started a trend. Every Monday night for the past 7 weeks, I have rushed to my tv with my two roommates Amy and Sarah to see who he kicked off, and analyze who we thought would be the best pick for this man we didn't even know. Just recently, the show ended, and the pick of the litter shocked everyone! While the pick was certainly not the favorite of me and my 3 roommates, the Bachelor himself was truly convinced this was the woman of his dreams. As he would talk about this life changing decision, there was something that he was saying that kept throwing me off. As he was picking between the two final women, he was saying, "I just have to follow my heart," "My heart is telling me to pick her," etc. Here's the thing, everytime he would say this the verse from Jeremiah 17 would run through my head, it says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" So, I got the 'Who can understand it part?' Because I was NOT understanding his choice. But the part that frustrated me is that he was following his heart, and according to God, it is the most deceitful thing above ALL things.

In American culture, we like to tell people to follow their heart. I know especially at this time in my life, people use that as an answer for me, when I am not sure what decision to make. BUT THIS IS NOT THE ANSWER! We shouldn't "follow our heart." God makes it clear that we can be deceived by what our heart wants. So, if the answer to our big decisions in life isn't 'follow your heart.' then what is it? Well I believe that it is found just a few verses above. It says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
BUT Blessed is the man who TRUSTS in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:5-8

There's the answer to the decisions we have to make! TRUST IN THE LORD. Here is where we find a confident answer, no matter what the circumstances. God promises that if we trust in Him, we will not fear when heat comes, we will always be green! We will not worry when drought comes, we will always bear fruit! I don't think that I understand the magnitude of these promises. It's SO easy, to just go with what we feel is "right," and leave God completely out of it. But how great will it feel to always be "green and bear fruit," and all we have to do is trust and be confident in our God who is capable. I think that by not trusting in Him like this, we make Him SO SMALL. We put limitations on what we believe he can do in our lives, and He is so much BIGGER than that! Let's learn to stop 'following our heart' and trust the Lord, through whatever it maybe (dating/marriage, careers, summer plans, etc.), and let God be as BIG as he really is!