Backing Up a Couple of Steps...

I have posted about the importance of controlling where you let your thoughts dwell, making the point that your thoughts will affect your emotions, which will affect your actions. I still believe this is true, but as with almost everything else, I've decided it may not be as simple as it sounded in the beginning.

There is a key element that I touched on, but failed to securely apply. And in testing my previous theory, I have found that this element I speak of is absolutely crucial. Remember when I mentioned the quote, "It's not what is true that affects your life, it's what you believe." Well, you can think the right thoughts all the day long, but unless you open your heart and let yourself believe them, it could prove to be fruitless. (Nothing more than "positive thinking")

Case in point: Over the weekend my heart was heavy. There were people I was very concerned about and I was hoping and praying that everything would work out for them. I had found that I was letting myself worry excessively, so I decided to change my thinking, to change where I was letting my thoughts dwell.

In and of itself, I think that was an excellent idea. However, I don't know if it's just the case with extremely emotional types or whether it's true of everyone but it turns out I have a special ability. I can think one thing while I believe another. I expressed to God that I trusted Him and that I knew He had everything in his hands. And in my head I knew that was true, but in my heart I was still full of worry that everything would not turn out okay. Subconsciously I was still wondering what I could do, instead of resting in what HE could do.

It got me to wondering. Is my mind more powerful than my emotions or are my emotions more powerful than my mind? Which would win out when they go head-to-head?

I believe the mind is a very powerful thing. I said before that wherever you let it dwell, your emotions will follow. But that's where I think there may be a missing step. Between your mind and your emotions resides the heart and soul of it all ... your belief system. I think the biggest danger in letting your mind dwell where it shouldn't is that subtle moment when you actually start BELIEVING your negative thoughts. And once you start BELIEVING them, everything can take a very ugly turn. At least for emotional types, it can then be a huge struggle to rein your emotions back in. Suddenly you're not only battling the wrong thinking itself, you are battling the emotions which no longer even WANT to think right.

I think this is a deep psychological/spiritual mystery, and I want to unravel it. I have seen too many people trapped in their own emotional turmoil, where the truth just falls off of them, unable to penetrate the walls surrounding their faulty belief system. In fact, I've been there myself in my lifetime, so I have a little bit of understanding of what it feels like. I understand why the Bible warns us to guard/take captive our thoughts, because they have a direct link to our whole belief system. Our belief system can completely throw our emotions into crisis mode, and it then affects our ability to be who we really are.

I do know that over the weekend, something that really helped me was to start reading encouraging passages out of the Bible. I read things in Ephesians and Philippians about God's love and power, and I could just feel the tension begin to ease. I believe the Bible really is the LIVING word. I believe it has passage straight into our belief system and can penetrate the walls like no mere human words can. There is help for us when our belief system takes a wrong turn. It's God... his power... his love. That's what you've got to love about God. There is always, always hope.

I'm going to continue pondering this whole subject, and I may have more to say about it in future posts. I'd love to hear anyone else's insights and revelations. But in the meantime, I encourage you to guard your thoughts. Keep your belief system strong and positive. Trust God. Because although there's always a road back, it's not always an easy one.