‘Carefully guard your thoughts.’

Proverbs 4:23 CEV

When it comes to everyday living, you can walk according to the unchanging principles of God’s Word or by your constantly changing feelings. When you live by God’s Word, you have stability. When you live by your feelings, it’s like riding a roller coaster; one day you’re up, the next day you’re down. God wants to bring you into emotional maturity, but you have to cooperate with Him. This calls for a daily act of your will; choosing to do things His way rather than your own. And once it becomes a habit, you discover that life is more enjoyable. Now, you don’t let everyone who knocks on your door come in and make themselves at home, so why would you let every emotion that surfaces dictate the direction of your day or decide your responses? ‘Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life’ (v. 23 CEV). It’s your thinking that produces your feelings, not vice versa! That’s why Paul writes, ‘Capture every thought and make it…obey Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5 NCV). In other words, if a thought doesn’t line up with God’s Word, don’t give it a voice or a vote. ‘We walk by faith, not by sight’ (2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV). This may come as a surprise, but as a Christian, you won’t always feel God’s presence. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to two of His disciples on the Emmaus road, yet they didn’t recognise Him. Why? Because they were occupied with their feelings! How did He lift them out of their negative emotions? ‘He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself’ (Luke 24:27 NKJV). Bottom line: you must be led only by God’s Word.