What Are You Following?
By Synthia Robinson-Pack
"Follow your heart."
"Follow your dreams."
How many times have you been encouraged to follow your heart or your dreams? Many times people boast that they only follow their heart. They think this is noble and righteous. Others say that they follow their dreams because they think it will assist them in reaching their goals and becoming successful. Many Christians think this is perfectly acceptable too.
Although these statements may sound altruistic and wonderful, they are not. In truth, they are selfish and egotistical. We must examine the undercurrent of these statements to discover their base. In other words, what is really behind these statements?
Follow Your Heart
What is in your heart? Do you really know what hides within your heart? No. Only God can truly say what is in your heart. This is the reason why God says, I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (1). We are not able to trust our own heart so we must trust Him to reveal what is in our heart.
The truth is that we may hide many things within our hearts. These are things that we would never admit to ourselves or others. It would be too revealing, shameful and painful. James 4:1-3 reveals the wickedness that may be found within our heart:
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your own lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Furthermore, in Matthew 15:16 - 20 and Mark 7:20-23, we read that Jesus said:
Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
This is what our hearts may hold. How difficult do you think it would be to admit that your heart harbored any of these sins? Of course, it would be very difficult for any of us, especially Christians, to admit that we have hatred, pride, foolishness, jealousy, or deceit within our hearts. This is why we cannot trust ourselves when it comes to our heart content.
When the Israelites were delivered from their slavery in Egypt, they still had many problems. Why did they have so many problems if God was leading them to the Promised Land? It was because of error in their hearts. In Psalms 95:6 - 11, we read:
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. [emphasis added]
We also may see things as being altruistic but, in actually, they are wicked. We often justify our sinful actions and thoughts. You have heard the old saying that the end justifies the means. This is a perfect example of trying to excuse sin. God never justifies wickedness for any reason! He calls sin what it is: sin. He does not dismiss it, justify it or try to redeem it. He does save us from our sin but He does not excuse it. God redeems people, not sin.
This is why the psalmist said in Psalms 44:21, Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. We can hide the truth from ourselves and others; we cannot hide it from God though. The psalmist submitted to God and His truth when he cried out, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (2)
Just like the psalmist, we too must ask God to reveal what is in our hearts. We must submit to His Truth to determine what is in our own hearts. Then, with everything within us, we must cry out, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (3) Only then, can we truly say that our hearts are pure before God. It is not something that we must do only once though. It is a continual process to ensure that we stay pure in God's sight. In the meantime, it is best not to trust or follow your heart. Trust God and follow Him instead.
Follow Your Dreams
When you read "Follow Your Dreams," what do you imagine? Do you think of having a lot of money or a large house? Maybe you picture being famous for your talents or work. Perhaps you may even want to have a large, successful ministry and lead other Christians. Whatever your dream is - no matter how noble or righteous it may seem - do not follow it! That may sound unrealistic and harsh but it is truth.
Proverbs 19:21 tells us that, There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. We may have our own plans for our lives but God has His plans too. Do your plans measure up to God? Have you consulted Him before you choosing a job, education, ministry or move in your life? If not, then you are in error. You are not putting God first; you are putting your desires and dreams before Him and His desires and dreams for you. What is God's will for your life? Do you know His plans? Why not? I John 2:15-17 says,
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of the life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Think about this for a moment. We are not to love the things of the world (our dreams and desires) above God's will for our lives. Furthermore, God's plans will endure forever; ours will eventually die, regardless of how important they may have seemed to us. Will your dreams last through eternally or will they be left behind to die? When you stand before God, will your dreams stand with you? For many people, the fact is that their dreams will not accompany them into eternity. They will receive their reward here on earth during their temporal lives and then have nothing in Heaven for eternity.
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: a man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease (4).
We cannot take wealth and fame into Heaven with us. We can only leave them behind so that others can possibly enjoy it. We will be able to eternally enjoy our accomplishments according to God's plans though. They will stand throughout eternity. This is why it is so important to remember that:
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us therewith be content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. (5)
Spend time with God and ask Him what plans and dreams you should pursue. Place your plans and dreams on His altar and take up His plans and dreams for you. You will not regret it - in this lifetime or the next.
Follow God and His Laws
Why should we follow only God and not our heart or dreams? The primary reason is because God tells us to do so. He is our Creator. He is God. We should obey Him. Christians are people who have repented of their sins, accepted Jesus' atonement for those sins and have committed their lives to Him. Jesus described the Christian walk clearly in one sentence: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (6) We are to deny ourselves and follow Him.
If you are a Christian, then you will follow God - even if it means giving up your dreams and desires. It is that simple. No excuses. You either are following God or not.
You gain much more by following Him than you do by following anything else. In fact, you may discover that the only way to reach your dreams is to follow His. Do not be surprised if when following God, you discover that you have attained your highest aspirations - dreams that you did not have the courage or strength to believe. Then you will understand the meaning behind the verse, Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass (7).
1. Jeremiah 17:10
2.
Psalms 139:23-24
3.
Psalms 51:10
4.
Ecclesiastes 6:1-2
5.
I Timothy 6:6-9
6.
Matthew 16:24
7.
Psalms 37:4-5
Copyright ©
2001 by Synthia Robinson-Pack. All rights reserved.