Follow God, Not Your Heart

A compilation

“Follow your heart” is a creed embraced by billions of people. It’s a statement of faith and one of the great pop cultural myths of the Western world, a gospel proclaimed in many of our stories, movies, and songs.

Essentially, it’s a belief that your heart is a compass inside of you that will direct you to your own true north if you just have the courage to follow it. It says that your heart is a true guide that will lead you to true happiness if you just have the courage to listen to it. The creed says that you are lost and your heart will save you.

This creed can sound so simple and beautiful and liberating. For lost people it’s a tempting gospel to believe. But think about it for a moment. What does your heart tell you?

Please don’t answer. Your heart has likely said things today that you would not wish to repeat. I know mine has. My heart tells me that all of reality ought to serve my desires. My heart likes to think the best of me and worst of others—unless those others happen to think well of me; then they are wonderful people. …

The “follow your heart” creed certainly isn’t found in the Bible. The Bible actually thinks our hearts have a disease: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus, the Great Physician, lists the grim symptoms of this disease: “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:19). …

Our hearts were never designed to be followed, but to be led. Our hearts were never designed to be gods in whom we believe; they were designed to believe in God.

If we make our hearts gods and ask them to lead us, they will lead us to narcissistic misery and ultimately damnation. They cannot save us, because what’s wrong with our hearts is the heart of our problem. But if our hearts believe in God, as they are designed to, then God saves us (Hebrews 7:25) and leads our hearts to exceeding joy (Psalm 43:4).

Therefore, don’t believe in your heart; direct your heart to believe in God. Don’t follow your heart; follow Jesus. Note that Jesus did not say to his disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled, just believe in your hearts.” He said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). …

Jesus is your shepherd (Psalm 23:1; John 10:11). Listen to his voice in his Word and follow him (John 10:27). He is the truth, he is the way, and he will lead you to life (John 14:6).—Jon Bloom¹

Follow the truth

Last month, I led a group of sixty high school students on a New Age worldview mission trip to northern Arizona. The students had completed fourteen weeks of training in worldview and apologetics. They were ready, equipped to converse with others about Christianity and truth.

Part of the trip involved having a shaman, a New Age clairvoyant, and an atheist present their beliefs to the students, with the students asking questions afterwards.

Both the shaman and the New Age clairvoyant shared a shocking core belief. The human mind is a trickster, they said, and can’t be trusted. Our minds overthink things, which only leads to trouble. Instead, always follow your heart. “If your heart is telling you to do something, do it,” the clairvoyant said. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Follow your heart” was the instruction we repeatedly heard from our New Age friends, but it’s the complete opposite of what Scripture teaches. … Jesus himself had this to say about the evil of the human heart. “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man” (Mark 7:21–23).

According to Scripture, human beings are broken because of sin, and our evil desires, inclinations, and appetites must be restrained. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit given to help us master our fallen hearts.

How can humans gain control over their faulty desires? Not by following their hearts and surrendering to their appetites. Instead, human beings need to have their minds renewed to see reality for what it is. As Paul says: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). …

There is nothing new about the New Age worldview. “Follow your heart” is a lie going back to the serpent’s words to Eve. Her mind knew what God had said, but she chose to follow her heart.

Here’s my advice: Don’t make the same mistake. Follow the truth, not your heart. Renew your mind according to God’s Word so you may prove what is good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:2).—Robby Lashua²

A new heart in Christ

The hearts of sinful humanity are so hardened that we cannot even seek God on our own (Romans 3:11), and that’s why Jesus said no one can come to Him unless the Father first draws him (John 6:44). We desperately need new hearts, for we are unable on our own to soften our hard hearts. …

When we are born again, God performs a heart transplant, as it were. He gives us a new heart. The power of the Holy Spirit changes our hearts from sin-focused to God-focused. We do not become perfect (1 John 1:8); we still have our sinful flesh and the freedom to choose whether or not to obey it. However, when Jesus died for us on the cross, He broke the power of sin that controls us (Romans 6:10). Receiving Him as our Savior gives us access to God and His power—a power to transform our hearts from sin-hardened to Christ-softened. …

God’s desire for every human being is that we become like His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:29). We can become like Jesus only when we allow God to rid us of our old, hardened hearts and give us new hearts.—GotQuestions.org³

All things new

In Psalm 51 David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” He confessed his shortcomings and his deep need for God; he wanted change, he wanted restoration. But God’s Spirit is the one who transforms us into something new, a creation that’s more like Him.

The power of God’s ability to make something new, to effect profound change should astound us. Who else has such power? And, what’s more, that He will deign to use this power to work in my heart, to change my life, is a source of hope. A mind-renewing and heart-altering change might seem to be out of my reach, but it is God who works in us through His power and Spirit. We may not perceive or feel the transformation, but we walk by faith, not sight, which is why we can always be of good courage (2 Corinthians 5:6–7).

It has little or nothing to do with our own efforts. It has everything to do with Him and the new covenant, forged in His blood, that He has offered to us to partake in. “He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life” (Titus 3:5–7).

We go to God, seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. He extends forgiveness and soul cleansing. He performs the miracle of wiping the slate clean of our past sins and mistakes (Hebrews 8:12). He gives us a new heart: “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:26). He lifts us up, transforms us, and re-creates us. He restores our soul and leads us in paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3). We become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

He makes all things new, and He still calls us today to “Come, follow Me” (Luke 18:22).—Avi Rue

Published on Anchor November 2025. Read by Jerry Paladino. Music by Michael Fogarty.

Posted in: audio, compilation, following god, relationship with the lord

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