No. Don't follow your heart. Guard it.
When people say, "Follow your heart," what they're really saying is, "Follow your emotions." And your emotions are the last thing you should follow. They were never meant to steer your decisions. If you did everything you felt like doing, you'd be in prison.
"The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT).
Guard your heart instead
"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life" (Proverbs 4:23 NLT).
Following your heart is like running down a steep hill. You're going to lose control, and you're going to get hurt. Guarding your heart is like patiently walking down that same hill. You're still moving forward; you're just doing it under control.
So what do I follow?
You might be thinking, "But doesn't God care about what I want?" He does. Your emotions are real, and they matter. They just make a terrible steering wheel. Here's what to follow instead:
Follow Jesus. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5 ESV). When your feelings and God's Word disagree, God's Word wins.
Follow wise counsel. We're experts at talking ourselves into bad ideas. Those who love you most should be listened to the loudest.
Let your feelings follow. "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4 ESV). When you're close to God, He shapes what you want.
Scripture: Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 4:23; 3:5–6; Psalm 37:4