Princess Diana was once quoted as saying, “Only do what your heart tells you.” Oprah Winfrey, during her farewell show, entreated her fans to “Live from the heart of yourself.” Even Celine Dion captured our imaginations with her melodic wail of “My heart will go on.” Our culture is heavily saturated with these seemingly romantic and lofty ideals that our hearts are to be listened to, trusted, and invited to make important decisions. Does it shock you that this is utterly false? For starters, Jeremiah 17:9 states, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” My friends, I hate to break it to you like this, but your closest roommate—the one sharing your chest wall—is a sociopath. It lies to you. Would you ever take advice or follow the direction of someone whom others described as “desperately wicked”? Never! And yet, our lives are a constant unseen battle with this deceitful foe.

Logically, in your brain, you know you should not put stock in how you feel at any given moment. However, we make subtle allowances almost daily, and they often sound something like this:

I need him to prove he loves me physically, even though I know it’s wrong.

I need to starve myself, or else I won’t fit into my jeans or my group of friends.

I need to spend money I don’t have on things I don’t need so that people will be impressed.

I need to tell him exactly what’s wrong with him and I don’t care if I yell or hurt him.

Of course there are other sins involved in each of these examples, such as pride, greed, wrath, etc. But the common theme here is our “need” to validate any and every emotion as it arises. And where are these flights of fancy originating? You guessed it. That organ that all of the pop songs and talk show hosts tell us to listen to: the heart. In contrast, Proverbs 28:26 says, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool.”

Beloved, guard your hearts and cling to the word of God, for Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “The word of God is living and powerful… and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.” The only standard of truth we have with which to combat our depraved hearts is the Word. Bathe yourself in it, and watch as the Lord sets you free from the chains of being a slave to your emotions.