Don’t Follow Your Heart—Follow the Spirit

In today’s world, one of the most common pieces of advice we hear is: “Just follow your heart.” It sounds comforting, even noble. People believe that their deepest feelings will lead them to happiness, fulfillment, or truth. But is that really what we should be doing? What does the Bible say?

The Heart Is Not a Safe Guide
Contrary to popular belief, the Bible warns us about the condition of the human heart. In Jeremiah 17:9, it says:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

The heart, in Scripture, represents the center of our emotions, desires, and intentions. But instead of being a reliable guide, it is described as deceptive and corrupt. Why? Because sin has affected every part of our being—including our emotions and reasoning. Following our heart, therefore, often means following our feelings over truth, our desires over obedience, and our will over God’s will.

The Carnal Mind Is God’s Enemy
Not only is the heart unreliable, but so is the natural human mind. Romans 8:7 tells us:

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

The “carnal mind” is the unconverted mind—the way we think before being born again. It resists God’s truth, loves sin, and cannot submit to God’s ways. So, when people say, “I think this is right,” or “This feels right to me,” we must ask: does it align with the Word of God? If not, then it’s the carnal mind speaking—and that mind is in opposition to God.

The Only Safe Guide: God’s Word and Spirit
Instead of following our hearts or minds, the Bible teaches us to follow God’s Word, led by the Holy Spirit. Psalm 119:105 says:

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

The Word of God is our compass in a dark and confused world. It never changes. It never deceives. But to understand and obey it, we must be born again.

Jesus said in John 3:3:

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Being born again means receiving a new heart and a new mind—one that loves righteousness and truth. When we surrender to Jesus, He comes to live in us by the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Truth or the Comforter—and guides us into all truth (John 16:13). He does not lead us according to our feelings or fleshly desires, but according to God’s will revealed in His Word.

Walking by the Spirit, Not the Flesh

Galatians 5:16 says:

“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

The life of the believer is not guided by impulse or emotion, but by the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to teach us, convict us, and shape our thoughts and decisions. The Spirit of Jesus gives us power to overcome the sinful nature and live in obedience to God.

Conclusion: Surrender Your Heart to God
Rather than following our hearts, we are called to surrender them. Proverbs 3:5–6 teaches us:

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

The heart was never meant to lead us—it was meant to be led by God. When we surrender our hearts and minds to Jesus, are born again by the Spirit, and walk in obedience to God’s Word, then—and only then—are we truly on the right path.

So next time the world says, “Follow your heart,” let us instead say, “Follow the Spirit through the Word of God.”