What Does Your Life Say About Your Heart?

"19 As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart" (Proverbs 27:19, NIV).

The world tells us to follow our heart, and although, upon first glance, this sounds good, does it truly align with what God calls us to do. Proverbs 27:19 tells us that our life is a reflection of our heart, meaning our innermost wants, desires, and hopes. So, realizing this, we should, as believers, ask ourselves if our life reflects a deep love and desire for God or for this world.

Here are some lies that the world tells us that we have to be careful not to fall into:

• Fallacy 1: Follow your heart.

  • "9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it" (Jeremiah 17:9, NIV)?

  • Keep in mind, deceitful describes a person, action, or thing that is dishonest, misleading, and intends to hide the truth or trick others. This verse indicates that human nature is fundamentally flawed and deceptive, and because of this, you can't trust your heart.

  • How can we know what is right when making decisions if we can't trust our heart to tell us?

    • Seek the Lord and focus on pleasing Him (Proverbs 28:5).

    • Understand that you do not understand everything (Proverbs 3:5-6).

    • Realize that it is God who holds the ultimate control (Proverbs 19:21).

• Fallacy 2: If that's how you feel...

  • The world often tells us, "if that's how you feel," then do what you feel is best, but the Bible shows us that acting out of how we feel is unwise.

  • "26 'In your anger do not sin': Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold" (Ephesians 4:26-27, NIV).

  • "1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1, NIV).

  • "11 Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end" (Proverbs 29:11, NIV).

  • Something we can take away from all three of these scriptures is that there is a wise way to respond and behave when strong emotions overtake us. Notice that Ephesians 4:26 says, "in your anger." This indicates that we will get angry, which is normal and okay, but that does not give us the right to sin. Get angry, feel your emotions, but do not allow your feelings to dictate your actions.

• Fallacy 3: I do what I want as long as it doesn't hurt other people.

  • There is an idea in the world that we, as humans, determine what is right or wrong, and as long as what I do does not hurt the people around me, I'm okay. Doing the right thing, however, is not necessarily determined by whether or not someone gets hurt as a result of our actions. This is not to say that we should be okay with hurting others, but sometimes the right decision may hurt others. In contrast, sometimes the wrong decision may hurt no one but God. That being said, wise choices are made with the advice and instruction of others and stem from a life of discipline and obedience to God.

  • "15 The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice" (Proverbs 12:15, NIV).

  • "1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid" (Proverbs 12:1, NIV).

• Fallacy 4: Wisdom is determined by how much knowledge I can attain.

  • "7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7, NIV).

  • "6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided" (Proverbs 16:6, NIV).

  • This atonement in Proverbs 16:6 does not describe forgiveness from God that is brought about from the shedding of blood, but the act of repentance that comes through love of and faithfulness to God. Throughout Proverbs, wisdom is used to speak of the skill of living in a way that honors God. Therefore, wisdom requires more than knowledge from this world. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge because it motivates us to turn from evil out of deep reverence for Him. This love and reverence, in turn, make our choices wiser as a result.

So, what's the point?

"23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23, NIV).

So, the world tells us to follow our hearts, but we can't honestly trust out heart or our feelings because naturally they are dishonest. You must fear the Lord and accept correction to live a life of wisdom that reflects your love for God. We see that it is important to guard our hearts because what our hearts desire and love will dictate our actions. If you love the world and desire the world, that will show in how you live your life. In contrast, if you hold a deep respect and longing to know God more, that will also reflect in the way we live our lives. This is why Jesus told his disciples, "By their fruit you will recognize them" when referring to false prophets (Matthew 7:16, NIV). Ultimately, your love for God should transform your heart, and, out of that love, you'll make wise, loving choices. So, ask yourself, "What does my life say about my heart and what I believe?"