Follow your heart... or not?

You've probably heard somoene tell you, or other people to follow your heart. I have been told by many people to follow my heart, both by christians and non-christians.
 
    Recently I had the opportunity to take part in a missions trip type thing. At first I wasn't extremely interested in it. Then I realized a girl I was interested in was going. I don't know this girl, but if I went it might have given me the chance to get to know her.

    As it got closer to the deadline, I was thinking about it a lot, and I felt that my reasons for wanting to go weren't correct, and I should reconsider going. I prayed about it and felt that I shouldn't go. While the event could have been beneficial to me, I felt my intentions were wrong.

    I stayed home instead, and I thought about it a lot because part of me regreted not going. The next day, Holly Starr posted her first videoblog.(here) In the video she mentions Jeremiah 17:9 which says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" This verse really hit me. Why was it that I wanted to go on this missions trip?

    So my reasoning for going was wicked? That could very well be the case, so I'm glad I didn't go.  I knew deep down that my reasons for going weren't right and because of that I didn't end up going. This verse confirmed this belief, but left me wondering. If the heart is deceitful and wicked- this is a problem, but who can know it? Well... God can know it. "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." 1 Sam. 16:7 Since this is something God knows, he knows the solution.

    For every problem you come across, the bible contains the answer. So I turned to the bible and found: Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." So the key to controlling this deceitful/wicked heart is by controlling your treasure.

    What is your treasure?
    A treasure is something or someone that is highly valued, loved, or of great worth. ¹ What do you value? My problem in this instance was that I wanted to go on this missions trip because there as a possiblity that I could get to know this girl that I was interested in. My treasure/object of value was getting to know this girl. This isn't what my reasons should have been. I should have wanted to go so that I could witness to people or so that I could grow stronger in my faith through the experience. While those both could have happened, my treasure wasn't in the right place; and as follows my heart wasn't either.

    So you want to meet someone, but you have yet to do so. I hear a lot from people when talking about being single, that they haven't found the one.  This implies that you should be search for someone.  I won't say it is wrong to be looking for someone, but if your heart is in the wrong place it won't do you any good. God has a plan for your life.(Jeremiah 29:11-12) If it is his will that you get married, you will meet her in the process of doing his will.  There are some quotes floating around that have this idea of not searching for someone, but rather 'bumping' into them while you are both chasing after God. The bible talks about not being unequally yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:14) If your treasure is pleasing God, and you are chasing after him with all of your heart, it would be pretty hard for you to be unequally yoked with someone you come across that is doing the same.

Don't follow your heart; Make God you treasure and your heart will be with him. "Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." - Psalm 37:4 If God is your treasure, he will give you those things you desire, and you don't have to worry about being deceived by your heart.

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