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"Living from the heart is business — the business of caring for self and others. Understanding this will take us past the age of information into the age of intuitive living." - Doc Childre
I think Solomon and the rest of the Bible might disagree.
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The concept of following your heart is something that has become increasingly common within our culture, specifically pop culture. From children's videos to movies and music, this is an oft repeated saying that is rooted in a certain view of humanity.
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The idea that man is basically good arose in reaction to the over emphasis on man's depravity during the Middle Ages. While it should be noted that man is a valuable, image bearer of God, the fact remains that he is still marred by sin. This biblical truth is almost universally dismissed as archaic by most. Almost all recognize that mankind has issues, but those are believed to be the result of nurture rather than nature.
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As we move into Ecclesiastes chapter 2 we get a glimpse into Solomon's decision to follow his heart. What we come to find is that, contrary to Doc Chidre's comment, when Solomon followed his heart he was self-absorbed rather than concerned with others. He served his own needs and pursued his own desires and, rather than being fulfilled and happy, what he found was only disappointment and despair.
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The Test of Pleasure
Chapter 2 begins with Solomon's decision in his heart to "test" himself with pleasure. Following the flow of the text from chapter 1, this was clearly in response to his pursuit of academic knowledge. These intellectual pursuits only served to provide him with greater knowledge of the broken and crooked nature of the world (1:15, 18). Since intellectual endeavors didn't satisfy, perhaps gratifying his physical desires would.
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He began by examining laughter and worldly joy. These were meaningless and accomplished nothing (2:2). He then turned to alcohol to intensify his experiences. In the midst of this drunken revelry he seemed to analyze himself and his experiences using the wisdom that God had given him (2:3). The analysis of his condition revealed that this too had failed to deliver the satisfaction and joy that he was seeking.
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CRIBS: The B.C. Edition 
In 2:4 Solomon explains that he turned from revelry to great building projects. These would provide clearly attainable objectives that would give him temporary purpose and would lead to even greater sensual experiences and enjoyment upon their completion. He built a great palace that we know from 1 Kings 7 took 13 years to complete. The palace was furnished with gardens, vineyards, parks, and all kinds of fruit trees (2:5-6). This palace was stocked with servants he had purchased and his wealth included more flocks of animals than any other king to come before him (2:7).
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Within this palace he fully indulged himself in sensual pleasures. He had wealth and treasure to feast his eyes upon as well as musical performers to keep him entertained. On top of that, he indulged himself sexually. The second half of 2:8 tells us about his harem. This was a group of women, probably wives and sex slaves, whose task was to satisfy the king's physical desires. There is no need to go into detail here but Solomon had the opportunity to indulge himself in every possible sexual experience.
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Temporary Enjoyment
2:10 is a really important verse that is sometimes not emphasized when Solomon's experiences are referenced. Solomon very clearly states that he enjoyed all of the things he was doing. It's shocking I know, but apparently sex feels good, getting drunk is kind of fun, and being rich gives you the chance to own really cool stuff. There was definitely a short term gain for Solomon. He states that his heart took delight in all that he had done. The problem with the heart is that gratifying it's desires can only offer enjoyment in the short run.
"Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."
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Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure?"
The problem with following our hearts is that they don't lead us to God. Proverbs 20:19 asks the above question. The answer, according to scripture, is that no one's heart is pure. We see this especially when it comes to relating to God. In Romans 1:18-32 tells us that man suppresses his knowledge of God and chooses to worship created things rather than the Creator. When man does this, his worship will almost always be directed towards himself. This worship manifests itself in many ways but especially sexually (Rom. 1:24-27).
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As Solomon looked back on his pursuit of wealth and pleasure he honestly assessed the long term results. Nothing was gained and he was filled with an overwhelming sense of emptiness. He failed to see God as the giver of all good things and to enjoy the experiences of life from a position of worship. As we live a life of true worship we can enjoy life within the boundaries that God sets for our protection. As soon as we begin to live outside of worshipping the Lord we open ourselves up to long term disappointment and misery even if the short term of worshipping ourselves through sensual pleasure is enjoyable.
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How has our thinking been impacted by the idea of following our hearts?
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Are we enjoying the experiences of life from a position of worshipping God or ourselves?
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