“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 (NIV)
To live into the goodness of our emotions, we have to be sure they’re really good. The world echoes “follow your heart,” “follow your dreams,” and “do what makes you happy.”
Because we equate our hearts with our emotions, it seems okay to go after what we want and do what feels good. However, we need to be sure that what we want aligns with what God wants for us.
This all seemed confusing when I read Bible verses that sounded in conflict with each other.
Psalm 37:4 said, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
In the very next book of the Bible, Proverbs 28:26 said, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, …”
So, God will give me the desires of my heart? But if I trust my heart, I’m a fool?
I finally got it (my answer) when I read “Leading Your Heart,” an appendix at the end of The Love Dare by Stephen and Alex Kendrick. I studied the book with an online group led by actor Kirk Cameron, and happened to flip to the back before I filed it away on my bookshelf.
In the section “How Do I Lead My Heart?”, I read what I’d heard before, but this time it made an impact. The authors said this about leading our hearts, “First, you need to understand that your heart follows your investment. Whatever you pour your time, money, and energy into will draw your heart.”
Yes, yes, and yes …
Especially our money since that’s the most difficult thing for most of us to part with. We say, “God wants my time too, not just my money” in hopes we can trade time for money and keep the latter.
Reading about leading my heart reinforced what I already heard my pastor preach several times, “Wherever you invest your money is where your heart will eventually end up. That’s why God wants us tithing (giving 10 percent of what we earn) – not because He needs our money, but because He wants our hearts.”
Changing my heart and my emotions isn’t about trying hard. It’s simply about where I spend my money. That one simple act let’s me know where my heart is, who or what I’m worshipping, and if it’s okay to keep following how I feel.
My checkbook, my debit card purchases, and my credit card statement are the heart of the matter.
In This Together,
Kim
FYI: I’m blogging my book titled On The Other Side of Trying Hard: Healing, Happiness, and Holiness. Because these blog posts are a manuscript instead of stand-alone stories, some posts may leave you hanging. I hope you’ll hang in here with us anyway ‘cause a happy ending is coming. My blog post title includes the chapter title first. The phrase in parentheses is the subheading. I’m over-the-top grateful to have you here. I’d love to hear your reflections, questions, and comments.
