If you are in the habit of consulting only yourself, trusting your own instincts and believing that you will know in your heart what to do when the time comes, then you have a big problem.

In Proverbs 28:26, the Bible says, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” Translated into plain 2024 English? “You can’t trust your heart to always tell you the truth. It lies.”

So, if we can’t believe in our self completely, then when it is time to make a decision, who or what are we supposed to trust to help us? Just what exactly is your ‘heart’ anyway? What is ‘walk wisely?’ And why would your own self lie to yourself? And why should you trust the Bible to give you perfect advice?

Good questions.

We all have been taught to ‘trust our gut instincts.’  To ask ourself, “What is my heart telling me to do?” Even if you walk into a counselor’s office and ask for help, you will find that counselor has been trained to ask you questions that will help you to realize where your real problem lies, so that you can find solutions yourself. And that is helpful, after all, most of the time we don’t even have a clue what is really bugging us. Remember the adage, “The problem is not the problem?” That is absolutely true in most cases.

But, yet, the Bible does make a point that we dare not ignore. (After all, the Bible is the written word of our Creator - does anyone really dare tell Him, “Butt out, You don’t have a clue what I am trying to do with my life.”)

So, how do we balance (A) Getting to truly know ourselves, with (B) Believing what the Creator is telling us?

My answers.

The heart? The ‘heart’ is the seat of your emotions, and both your Creator and Satan have access to it. That is the reason you dare not trust your emotions completely. Walking wisely? That means following what your Creator has taught in His written word. Because Satan doesn’t have the power to corrupt what the Bible says.  Counseling? Find a friend/pastor/counselor who knows the heart does lie, but the Bible doesn’t. And then start talking, and listening.

When you have decisions to make, listen closely to your emotions, but don’t be governed by them. They can easily lie to you. It’s better to kick your emotions over to the curb, run everything through the filter of God’s Word, and don’t be afraid to consult good counselors in your life.

Way too often people believe their lying heart will put them on the right path. And then they end up on a side road, bogged down in a muddy mess. Because the heart may be right - or it just may be wrong.