Follow your heart. Be true to yourself. Believe in yourself. Live your truth. All that matters is that you are happy. Manifest that. 

We have all heard at least one of these mantras. If you have social media especially, you have seen one of these posted. Our society speaks these phrases daily. I have seen them on Instagram, seen them in cute script as a tattoo, heard them in casual conversations, and had them quoted by different trainers I exercise with online. 

They are lies. While they have a nice ring and look pretty when we write them in an aesthetically pleasing font for a post, they are lies. They are not biblical or words Jesus spoke.

Let's break them down below:

• Follow your heart.

• The Bible never tells us to follow our hearts. Instead, it tells us in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” And in fact, the Bible says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23).

• Jesus also instructs us, not to follow our own hearts, but to follow him (Matthew 10:38, Matthew 16:24). John 12:26 says directly, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

• Be true to yourself.

• Similar to the above lie, anything glorifying one’s self first, is putting God second, or possibly lower. This is not scriptural. 

• Proverbs 28:26 says, “Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.” Romans 13:14 also tells us, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”

• Believe in yourself.

• While believing in yourself, having self-confidence and self-esteem are not technically “bad” to some degree, the Bible speaks directly to pride and who we should believe in. Our belief should be first in God and His power.

• Proverbs has several scriptures on humility and pride. For example, Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction; a haughty spirit before a fall.” And Proverbs 11:2 tells us, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

• In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus told the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. The story tells how one man, “rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

• In John 14:1, Jesus tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” And Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

• Live your truth.

• This one has always confused me a bit. There is only one truth, and that is Jesus. When we say, “ live your truth,” it seems we are justifying someone doing whatever they want. This goes against living out the actual Truth, which is Jesus Christ. 

• Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He also tells us in John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus is the truth, not whatever fad or lifestyle is being pushed right now. There is freedom in Jesus.

• All that matters is that you are happy.

• God wants us to be joyful, there is no doubt about it. But unfortunately, we cannot be happy 24/7. We are human and we have other emotions and feelings. The greatest commandment given does not even involve us or our own happiness. When we pursue and love God first, and then love others, that is where true joy lies.

• Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37-40, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

• Jesus also tells his disciples in Matthew 16:24-27, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

• Manifest that.

• The belief you can “manifest” something can lead you to believe you are your own god. While you can work hard towards a goal, some believe that manifesting means if you concentrate on something hard enough, you will get it. The emphasis is on you and what you think you need, rather than God. 

• Proverbs 19:21 reminds us, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” We also know we can make plans, but the Lord himself determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9).

• Remember, God knows how to give good gifts (Matthew) and hears our prayers (1 John 5:14-15).

• Manifesting is glorifying self. Whatever happens, good or bad, we must remember God is sovereign and loves us. He is in control and should be glorified. 

Pray and let God saturate your heart and mind. Let go of these lies. Make a conscious decision with God, to allow Him to be your truth and what you believe in.