The Bible says, ‘Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.’ There are many things that happen in this world which can easily affect our mind and emotions, and we need to learn how to rise above them. When negative thoughts are building up and trying to take control of our emotions, we need to take a few minutes to ‘set our minds and keep them set’ on ‘the higher things’.

It often helps to speak positively about whatever is bothering you. For example, have a chat with yourself that goes something like this: ‘My family may not be everything I’d like it to be, but I’m thankful I have a family. My house may not be as nice as I’d like it to be, but it’s still a good place to live. I might be going through a difficult time right now, but Jesus is with me and He’s going to get me through it.’ The devil knows which of your buttons to push to get an emotional reaction. So what should you do?

Stand on God’s Word: ‘Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline… instruct… and teach out of Your law, that You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity.’ (Psalm 94:12–13 AMPC) The more you discipline yourself to say no to your feelings and yes to the wisdom of God, the easier it becomes to defeat the enemy in a spiritual tug-of-war. So decide today that you won’t arrange your life around unreliable emotions, and focus instead on ‘the higher things’!