“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 3:5
Have you ever been told, when in the midst of a tough decision, that the best thing you can ever do is to follow your heart? That answer feels like it should be right, doesn’t it? After all, my heart can be trusted, right?
“What do I do about my career?” Follow your heart.
“What do I do about my marriage?” Follow your heart.
“What do I do about my unborn child?” Follow your heart.
Our culture today tells us that our heart will guide us to do the right thing and if you just have the courage to follow it, everything will be OK and you will find happiness. But our hearts can be deceptive. The heart wants what it wants and often times, it wants it now, whether it be love, success, or freedom. It is a beating organ that is focused only on fulfilling the desires of the body it inhabits. And the heart has an insatiable appetite. Once one desire is fulfilled, another is around the corner, asking once again “What should I do?” But admittedly, we have all seen countless examples in our lives or in the lives of those around us, where the heart has failed. And yet, the mantra rings in our ears at every new fork in the road. Our hearts have the starring role in the movie of our lives…and it’s time for a new director.
It’s time for us to put our hearts under the direction of Jesus. He can lead our hearts to a full understanding of the love of God. Jesus knew the love of the Father perfectly. What better director in our lives than the One that is God made flesh. Through His loving touch, He can direct your heart to His heart, your desires to His desires, and your questions to His answers.
Back in the 1990’s, there was a revival of a saying from the 1800’s….”What Would Jesus Do?”
For some of us, that question may highlight one of the basic principles of our faith. Because how do we know what Jesus would do? Well, how do we know what anyone would do in any given situation? That answer is: It depends on how close you are to them. It depends on your relationship with them. It’s no different with Jesus. Knowing where Jesus would direct you is simply a matter of knowing Jesus. And knowing Jesus is about being in relationship with Him.
Jesus is waiting for you and wants a complete relationship with you. And it is not as hard as you might think.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
Within Scripture, the Lord is revealed through His words and His actions. In the Eucharist at mass, He shares His very body, blood, soul and divinity with us. In the adoration chapel, He listens intently to your prayers and in the quiet stillness, He speaks to your heart, directing it to the love of God and the perfect answer to the questions and challenges we struggle to solve.
So the next time you find yourself needing counsel to solve a problem, or simply question the direction of your life, ponder this:
Who will be the director in the movie of my life?
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