- Just follow you heart.
- Do what makes you happy.
Now, part of the reason I dislike those phrases is that they are commands. I honestly do not like being told what to do. My natural, first reaction is to argue against the command. But there is a greater reason I dislike those phrases.
They're a bunch of baloney. Life isn't meant to be about following your heart and doing what makes you happy. Life is about so much more.
Life is about living - not settling for immediate gratification or momentary desires.
If I were to follow my heart, I would have settled for foolish things a long time ago. I would have settled on a relationship (most likely in high school) that was based on infatuation instead of waiting for a relationship based on Christ's love and respect. I would have missed out on my time at USF and my time in Ghana.
If I were to do what makes me happy, I would be completely selfish. I would do everything for me; that's not what life is meant to be. It's meant to be about God. I'm meant to glorify him instead of build up myself.
If I were to follow my heart and do what makes me happy, I would have said "NO!" to Ghana. I would have stayed home. If I were to follow my heart and do what makes me happy, I would not go to Eastern Europe and Russia this fall. I would be completely selfish and stay in South Dakota with family and friends or at least stay in the U.S. and go to graduate school.
But I would rather not be selfish. I would rather trust that God knows more than I know; I would rather trust that if he sent me to Ghana and is sending me to Eastern Europe and Russia, then it's good. My heart can be stupid and believe lies; I've learned a lot about the lies my heart believes this year. I don't want to believe lies and let them determine my future. I'd rather leave determining my future to God.
There's a song by Jenny and Tyler called "Do Not Follow Your Heart." I decided I liked it before I listened to it. It's super simple, but so full of deep truth that we need:
I've trusted in what I thought would lead me right
Discovered I was good at believing lies
I end up exchanging life for that which disappoints
And I can't seem to shake this tendency; will you please?
Do not follow your heart
If it means you're going to settle when you know there's something better now
You'll be falling apart
Don't you keep holding the lesser when you know it's going to let you down
You are leaving your mark
What you want them to remember when you're gone and can't pretend anymore
What you've loved and you've lived for
When we follow our hearts, we have the opportunity to exchange life for that which disappoints. What a bummer deal. I don't want that. I want to follow something bigger than my heart. I want to follow Someone bigger than my heart. So I do. And I'll follow him wherever he leads me, no matter how scary it is or how sad it makes my heart. Because I know he's good, and I'll continue to trust that truth.
Will you join me in refusing to settle? Will you lay aside your heart and your "happiness" and trust him for something more?
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