Let's face it: most children are taught that as long as they follow their heart, everything else will fall perfectly into place. A majority of adults today have complete faith in this phrase as well. We all grow up with the notion that following your heart is exactly what you are supposed to do, and your instinct or "gut feeling" will always steer you toward the path you should take. However, the implications of the saying are far deeper than what the surface would entail. Who would have thought that one of Disney Channel's most advertised phrases would prove to be dangerously misleading?

Here is why you should not choose to blindly seek after what your own heart desires: your heart is a part of you. And you, no matter how grounded you may be in your relationship with Christ, are still human. Jeremiah 17:9 gives us a clear understanding: "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" In other words, being a "good person" does not imply that your heart is full of only pure motives. Simply due to the fact that you are human makes it evident that your heart will not lead you in the right direction. In fact, the aforementioned Bible verse makes it seem as if your own heart would guide you in the opposing direction of where God would desire for you to go. Therefore, we are undoubtedly called to be cautious regarding our hearts. It is vital to guard the heart and continuously ask the Lord to cleanse us of all impurities that may cause us to drift from what He has commanded.

I am sure everyone can point to a time in their lives in which following the heart did not turn out so well for them. Whether it be a seemingly promising relationship that had detrimental results, a dream career that appeared to shatter before it could begin, or a number of differing instances, choosing to trust in yourself instead of God isn't the most favorable route. Actually, it is a disastrous idea to begin with. Why take it upon yourself to decide what is best for your life when you can't even see the big picture? We have such a minuscule glimpse of our lives while our Savior can see not only the past and the present, but He has total knowledge of and control over the future. Rather than expressing our relief, as should be the appropriate response, we enjoy pretending to hold some sort of authority over our lives as we try our best to fit in with the rest of the world by "following our hearts." This is not at all to say that a Christian's life is one without difficult circumstances simply because God's way trumps man's way. Moreover, allowing Christ to take over and submitting to His will is crucial so that our plans will align with His. Why be a follower of Christ if your will is not a reflection of His?

Unfortunately, each of us has chosen to test out the waters regarding this deleterious phrase and have been overcome by the ferocity of its overbearing waves. Perhaps the reason why so many people follow their hearts and proceed to be thrust into an entirely different path is because God is calling them to no longer follow their own way. Man's ways are inevitably set up for catastrophe to strike. What we fail to remember is that God's way is the best way. If He can see our entire lives, and we see merely a tiny fraction, why do we feel the need to be entitled to fulfilling our own wills for our lives? There is no justification for following your heart because it will lead you straight to a path of destruction rather than the path of redemption. Be cautious of the decisions you make. Even the seemingly insignificant ones may have resulted from attempting to make your own way for yourself. Include Christ in whatever you say or do, and everything else will fall perfectly into place. Though society may not deem Christ's plans for us impeccable, each of us knows that they are. By relentlessly pursuing Him, you show that you have surrendered your earthly desires and are submitting to whatever He wills. A relentless pursuit is exactly what is necessary in order for us to neglect what Disney taught us and obey the God who bought us at a price. Once and for all, choose to follow God's heart and not your own.