Follow Your Heart – Part 1
Whose Belief Is This, Really?
Most of Us Didn’t Choose Our Beliefs
Most of us don’t remember the moment we formed our beliefs.
We remember hearing them.
Repeating them.
Memorizing them.
But rarely do we remember choosing them.
Beliefs often come to us quietly—handed down through family, church, culture, and tradition. Over time, repetition turns into certainty, and certainty turns into identity.
Growing Up with Scripture
I grew up in the church.
My dad was a Southern Baptist preacher.
I was in Awanas, memorizing Scripture from a very young age—and I was good at it. I could quote verses easily. I knew what was right, what was wrong, what you could do, and what you absolutely could not do.
Faith, for me, became something you performed correctly.
It was measured by obedience to rules and relationship.
When Verses Become Heavy
As I got older, I noticed something interesting.
The verses that came most easily to my mind were often the ones that felt heavy.
Judgment-leaning.
Restrictive.
Don’t do this.
You shouldn’t feel that.
Your heart can’t be trusted.
And no one ever sat me down and said, “Let’s talk about context.”
No one asked, “How does this verse fit into the larger story of God’s heart?”
We just learned it.
And we carried it.
The Automatic Response
So when someone says, “Follow your heart,” I understand why there’s resistance—especially in Christian circles.
The response is almost automatic:
You can’t do that. The heart is deceitful. Jeremiah 17:9 NIV states “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
End of discussion.
But here’s the question I’ve been sitting with lately:
Do We Believe This Because We’ve Examined It?
Or because it was passed down without an invitation to explore it?
There’s a difference.
Scripture actually encourages discernment:
“Test everything; hold fast to what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Testing isn’t rebellion.
Questioning isn’t a lack of faith.
Sometimes it’s the doorway into a more honest one.
Jesus and the Power of Questions
Jesus asked questions constantly.
Not to undermine faith—but to deepen it.
Not to shame people—but to invite them into relationship.
Yet somewhere along the way, many of us learned that questioning meant doubting… and doubting meant danger.
So instead of curiosity, we inherited conclusions.
Instead of discernment, we inherited fear.
Especially when it comes to the heart.
Looking Beyond a Single Verse
We quote verses without pausing to ask:
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Who was this written to?
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What was happening at the time?
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What else does Scripture say about the heart?
We guard beliefs fiercely while rarely examining how they shape our trust in God—and in ourselves.
This Week Is About Awareness
This week isn’t about redefining doctrine.
It isn’t about throwing beliefs away.
It’s about becoming aware.
Because a belief you’ve never questioned can quietly run your life.
And sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is ask:
Why do I believe what I believe?
Reflection for the Week
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What verses come most easily to mind for me—and why?
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Were my beliefs formed through relationship, fear, or repetition?
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Have I ever allowed myself to explore the why behind them?
There’s no judgment here.
Only honesty.
And honesty is where real faith begins.
Take some time this week and get curious. I’d love to talk with what comes up.
Kathy, The Energy Pharmacist, Soul Centered Vitality