Follow Your Heart

"..the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them." - Romans 2:15

There are times in all of our lives when we come to a fork in the road. There are two, maybe three or four different options and we don’t know which way to go. At that point, some of us stop and analyze the situation, some of us pray to God for direction, still others prefer to sit back and wait until the right decision seems to present itself to us. How should we handle these difficult, sometimes gut wrenching, often life changing decisions? That’s easy: Do what is right.

We all have a sense of right and wrong instilled in us starting as soon as we emerge from the womb. We instantly begin learning what is good and what is evil. We become very adapt at differentiating right from wrong. We also learn at a young age to convince ourselves that “wrong” might not be that bad. We call it “experimenting.” We write our mistakes of as a “learning experience,” all the while knowing, at least on some level, that what we are doing is not what is right.

1 Timothy 4:16 says “Watch your life and your doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save yourself and your hearers.” This applies to believers and non-believers alike.

To “watch your life” means to take a step back and look at your life. Are you living the way that you KNOW you should be? Have you made a few bad choices? Strayed down a path or two that you should have stayed away from? Take an honest look at your life and admit your shortcomings. Only then can you begin to rectify them.

To “watch your doctrine” means to stay true to your convictions. We were all taught at least the basics of right and wrong by our parents and/or the good influences in our lives. The problem is that sometimes we become blinded by our lifestyles. We become comfortable with who and what we are. With contentment comes laziness. Our core values become lackadaisical or completely change over time. Take a step back and make sure that your values and convictions are still where they should be.

The fact is, when we reach that point in our lives where we have to make a tough decision, the answer is usually obvious. Unfortunately, the right thing to do is almost never the easiest thing to do. The world tells us to take the easiest way, but our hearts often disagree. When the time comes to change our lives with one decision, we need to be honest with ourselves, we need to humble ourselves, and we need to stay true to our convictions. Sometimes life is hard, but through honesty, humility and obedience we will do what is right. Remember, when in doubt, follow your heart.

Questions? Comments?
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