I watched her wipe her tears as she struggled to decide which bachelor to send home. Warnings of a particular young man had risen several times, but she had no choice but to ‘follow her heart’ and keep him around.
How many times have we heard that timeles bit of “wisdom?” How often have we quoted it to a dear friend at a crossroad or even used it to justify our own actions inspite of the warning signs presented to us?
But hang around long enough and you’ll see the tragic results of practicing such nonsense. When the relationship falls apart, when we can’t pay the bills, when the collateral damage piles around our feet, do we then say…”well, at least I followed my heart”?
What we should be asking ourselves is ‘”at what point did my brain disengage? ”
Why are we surprised by the consequences of leaving common sense behind?
We women should be especially cautious. Know thyself, girlfriend! We are emotional, fickle and at times a little flakey. It’s an aspect of our sex that can be charming. But more often than not, it reaps consequences for which we didn’t plan (and OHHHH how we do plan!)
God has warned us in His Word, “the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it?” And think about it, how often have we said the words “what was I thinking?”, “why did I buy this outfit?” ‘” why did I go out with them?” “why did I agree to organize this party?” You can fill in your own blanks here.
We are human; fallen creatures born with natural selfish tendencies that can justify…well… just about anything. But we don’t have to live that way. We can choose to live wisely. Admit what we would LIKE to do and then set it aside long enough to ask God for wisdom.
There are a few guidelines I try to live by when faced with making a decision. They’re not original to me but I can’t really remember where I got the information. Nevertheless, it’s good stuff.
Never make a decision when you are: Hungry, Tired, Lonely, PMS-ing, Mad or Depressed.
You are NOT at your best during any of these times. Bad choices often come from moments of desperation and attempts to fill a void.
Speaking of time; it is your friend. Perhaps you were given a specified amount of time to make a decision. Think about the perameters given to you. Is it a reasonable amount of time? Ask for more, if possible. Is the pressure you’re feeling truly coming from an outside source, or your own impatience? How big of a role are your emotions playing in this?
Lastly, check your motives. This statement speaks for itself. It requires us to be brutally honest with ourselves. God already knows our motives. It’s we mere humans, that prefer ”blissful ignorance.” But getting to that point of truth gets us closer making right choices that affect not only ourselves but those around us.
So follow my heart? Hmmmm, not so fast. Let me check in with common sense and the God Who Loves Me FIRST!
Just a few thoughts from my journey so far….
