Many are told to go by your inner sense or feelings and to let them lead you in your decisions. But we know that our heart’s feelings are quite easily manipulated by our thoughts and perceptions that are often Satanically inspired, through our sin-laden flesh. Here the Word of God warns us of that which flows from our “own heart.” The wisdom of God is to be treasured.

Proverbs 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a FOOL: but whoso Walketh Wisely, he shall be delivered.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

The Christian approach to the study of God’s words of wisdom for us today start and end with Christ who is fully revealed to us by the Apostle Paul in his thirteen epistles. Paul, in opposing false wisdom, locates true wisdom in God’s plan that climaxes in Christ and the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 1:24 Paul explicitly calls Christ “wisdom.” This gospel wisdom of God is the source of all wisdom for the Christian community. It’s fruit, by the resurrected indwelling “Spirit of life in Christ” includes “the mind of Christ” (Co. 2:16).

Paul’s Colossian and Ephesian epistles amplify his understanding. God has “lavished upon us” the saving grace of the gospel “in all wisdom and insight” (Eph. 1:8). In Christ, God gives believers “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation” (Eph. 1:17). Paul prays that God would fill the saints “with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Col. 1:9). The apostle proclaims Christ, “warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom” to present everyone mature in Christ (Col. 1:28). In Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).

Every believer’s soul-self is intended to abide in union with Christ; in union with His Spirit that indwells their “spirit of man” (Prov. 20:27). The genuine believer is to be enlightened by “the word of God” and submitted to “the Spirit of life in Christ” within them. The blessing for trusting believers is that by their union with Christ they enjoy His life and peace in their soul. “… to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace [for the soul].” (Rom. 8:6).

Sadly, this is not the case for most people, even Christians. The three functions of our soul are by; 1) our psychological self, our mind, and 2) our emotions, and 3) our will. The great problem for most people, including Christians, is dealing with their emotions or feelings. This most often is rooted in wrong thinking which cripples the believer in their daily walk. To be led by what we feel is not the God-ordained order of our being.  “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the [grown up] sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14).

Yet, most people foolishly assume that what they feel is the ‘real them,’ but this not true. Who we are is ordained of God’s love, grace and saving work in our lives by the Cross-work of Christ. Our feelings are always a reaction to a thought; good or bad… and very often they are not a valid feelings. The fact is that every feeling, when first felt, was attached to a thought.

All truth is already established in His word and in our spirit, so our mind is to be ‘set on the Spirit.’ Christ as the “Spirit of truth” indwells our spirit, to lead us in real life, peace, and rest. He leads us by His written “word of truth” as the Spirit reveals and confirms truth to our soul’s mind. Inwardly perceiving “the word or truth” is not a feeling, it is a wise sense of truth that’s ‘deeper than our natural mind;’ it is of “the Spirit.” Conversely, when our ‘mind is set upon the flesh [carnal]’ it is deadly to our spiritual understanding and to our perception of reality.

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit [mind] the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally [fleshly] minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:5-6

Now, let’s consider the thoughts and feelings connection as occurs in our daily life. Some wrongly say that feelings and thoughts are 2 entirely distinct mental states. People tend to separate thoughts and feelings into different compartments of mental experience. They say; after all, don’t we think with our heads and feel with our hearts?  Isn’t it true that thinking is cool and rational, while emotions are hot and blind to reason? But the Bible tells us our emotions and thinking are more clearly connected than many people recognize. 

‘For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7a)