I am not a fan of cliches. I don't like catchy sayings, I hate cheap inspirational quotes, and very little irritates me more than seeing them all on Facebook. Now I will admit I am generalizing a bit with these terms, so I'll be a tad more specific. More than anything I cannot stand to see truth oversimplified for the sake of creating one of the aforementioned annoyances. Especially when it's only purpose is to make oneself feel all nice and bubbly inside. Regardless of how, in every instance, when a particular truth is chopped down and reshaped into easier to swallow, bite-sized truths, it becomes a misrepresentation of the very thing it used to be. We are no longer diving into the objective beauty of the things we cannot control, but instead only nibbling on the parts that make us feel good. There is a certain rage that boils up inside me when the principals on which my life has been founded are misrepresented in this fashion.
One such example of this is the "follow your heart" theme that so often shows up in modern culture. It is verbalized, implied and even assumed nowadays. We've seen time and time again how characters in movies, books, etc., can achieve their goals "if they only follow their heart". It is the ultimate advice for those who are lost, confused, or unsure. We are taught that the only axiomatic guidance we need lies within our own intuition. I believe the intentions behind the expression are genuinely good. It's meant to inspire hope and love, and to spur on the aspirations of those who are discouraged by the world. Its the implications that are less desirable.
Now to be sure, when I say heart I am not talking about the organ. I instead am referring to the feelings, the intuition, and the internal GPS that makes a gut feeling possible. In Jeremiah 17:9 this very heart is described as being "deceitful above all else". I believe that we do follow our hearts. And we can all attest to the destruction that comes from it. We know we are a broken people. And the results of such self-guidance are destructive, hurtful, and devastating. But if our hearts deceive us, what are we to trust in?
Finally. The heart (see what I did there?) of the matter. Scott Evans, one of my favorite authors, points out in one of his books that the Bible seems to present the heart somewhat paradoxically. Yes, Jeremiah calls the heart deceitful, but backing up a few books into Proverbs 4:23 and we are told that, not only do we need to protect it, but that the heart is the "wellspring of life". Right. So which is it? Are we to protect and guard the very things that deceives us?
I firmly believe that we are indeed supposed to trust our hearts. But not as they are, rather as they were intended. Sin has corrupted us and destroyed what was originally created to be in perfect community with God. Through Jesus Christ, however, we may find redemption and ultimately are created new, heart and all. 2 Corinthians mentions this is chapter 5, verse 17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!" The old testament mentions the idea of a new heart several times. Some of those references include Ezekiel 18:31, 11:19, and 36:26, the latter of which says "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh"
It is that heart that I believe we are instructed to protect. Yes, we are redeemed and no longer enslaved to sin. But are still vulnerable. We still fall to sin and we can and do still feel the worldly effects of sin, and so we must be on our guard, trusting not in our own instincts but instead in our Father's guidance. That's that whole truth.
Now I am by no means claiming to be innocent of this truth-nibbling problem however. I am as guilty as anyone in having occasionally eaten around the hard to swallow parts. All I'm saying is, lets start working through the truth, and dig into the meat of it. Let's investigate, let's ask questions, and ultimately, let's start reaping the spiritual benefits of a balanced diet filled with the whole truth, and a little less spiritual junk food. And yes, I'm done with the food metaphors now.
"Keep all your anecdotes and cute quotes
I'll pass on clichés for true hope"
-Trip Lee "Sweet Victory"
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