Let us do a heart talk in this article. Usually, we talk about human hearts only during February, the month of love. Heart and love are topics that are commonly associated. When you talk about the human heart, you cannot avoid talking about human emotions, which love is the most popular among them, and yet the most misunderstood.

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When we talk of love, we usually associate with fleeting emotions and not the will or the volitional aspect of man. Love and firm decisions seem to be polar opposites. Nothing is farther from the truth, for love is the firmest decision you can make in your life. The idea that someone is running away from a lifelong commitment in the name of love is not normal.

Two Songs

Specifically, I would like to talk about a wayward heart, not just a heart in general. I am looking for popular music to illustrate what I have in mind. Two Filipino songs come to mind: Pusong Ligaw (Wayward Heart) by Jericho Rosales and Sana Dalawa ang Puso Ko (I Wish I Had Two Hearts) by Janno Gibbs.

The first song is confusing. It is not clear to me who abandoned the relationship, the singer or the object of the song. If it is the singer, then the waywardness of his heart makes sense. He abandoned the relationship for another person and then realized later that he still loves the woman he left.

However, if the object of the song is the one who abandoned the singer, the waywardness of the heart becomes confusing. If after abandonment, the singer searches in desperation for lovers to replace his beloved, and yet he remains unhappy, the theme of waywardness still makes sense. However, if after abandonment, he feels lost and still waiting for the return of his beloved, that is not the kind of waywardness I have in mind.

The second song is more accurate. Wishing to have two hearts because the person is torn between two lovers is a clear indication of a wayward heart. A heart that was formerly free of trouble that turned confused due to meeting another lover is a sure indication of a wayward heart.

The Text

Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars. 2 Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles beside the spreading trees and on the high hills. 3 My mountain in the land and your wealth and all your treasures. I will give them away as plunder, together with your high places, because of sin throughout your country. 4 Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have kindled my anger, and it will burn forever. (Jeremiah 17:1-4).

Our passage talks about a wayward heart. The meaning of the words “Judah’s sin” (verse 1), “sin” (verse 3), and “your own fault” (verse 4) will only be understood if you read the whole passage, including verses 5 to 14. The specific sin that the people of Judah committed was described by prophet Jeremiah as a heart that “turns away from the Lord” (verse 5), a heart that forsakes God, a heart that turns away from God, and a heart that has forsaken the Lord (verse 13). In short, a wayward heart.

A Wayward Heart Leads to a Hardened Heart

Verses 1 and 2 describe the character of Judah’s sin. It “is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.”

This is not an ordinary but a striking prophetic language. This is a language that shows that sin is not something taken lightly but carved deeply within the heart and soul of a people. The waywardness of their hearts shown in their idolatrous worship is no longer occasional but becomes a pattern. It is embedded in the hearts and minds of adults as well as their children. Such an act of infidelity is stuck in the memory of the young ones. It has shaped their instincts, their desires, and their lifestyle.

Such is the case of waywardness. It does not happen instantly. It slowly erodes your beliefs and values over time. The slow drift becomes a pattern through repeated action and later turns into life’s direction and shapes one’s identity.

The people of Judah had reached a point where waywardness of heart became normal; it became second nature. Idolatry was no longer shocking. Infidelity was no longer troubling. Their hearts had adjusted to turn away from God.

Such waywardness is not confined to the Jews of Jeremiah’s time. Even though we don’t have “high places” today where we bow before carved idols, our hearts as factories of idols are busy finding replacements for God. As the lyrics of the old hymn say, "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” This is a continuous struggle in the Christian life as long as we are on this side of eternity. Our hearts continue to wander. We normalize attitudes, habits, and desires that slowly pull us away from God until waywardness becomes permanent and our hearts are hardened.

So, the question we must ask is not simply, “What am I doing? ” but to ask, “What is being engraved in our hearts over time? What sins have become normalized?”

There is no such thing as "accidental waywardness.” Waywardness is intentional until it becomes a pattern, something that is permanent.

Waywardness in the Digital Era

Living in the digital age, opportunity is everywhere. With electronic gadgets like laptops and mobile phones and an internet connection, we can earn by creating and curating content, trading, staking, yield farming, and joining airdrops. Many digital platforms have opened doors that previous generations never imagined. However, alongside this opportunity is a risk. Not just financial risk, but a spiritual risk, the risk of slowly drifting away from your original intention.

In the digital world, the heart can wander faster than ever. You started your Web3 journey intending to serve God but ended up preoccupied by tokens and charts. You begin with the idea of faithful stewardship, but slowly your time with God has been replaced with playing games, reading posts and comments, checking incentives, and hunting the next most promising blockchain or crypto projects. These are not sinful in themselves. But over time, repeated practice can become your direction and identity. Instead of faith shaping your digital engagement, it is your engagement that shapes your heart.

What is the first thing that captures your attention each day—God or your dashboard? What patterns are being engraved in your heart through your digital life?

In our digital engagement, let us be warned that a wayward heart is not a sudden accident but a series of choices. With this warning, we must intentionally decide each day to reflect on God’s grace rather than the fleeting idols of our time.

Grace and peace!