Question: What is the difference between our thoughts and God’s shining?
Answer: Many Christians have the question of how to know whether a feeling is given by God or a leading comes from God. In other words, how can we clearly tell that a certain leading we have is of God? The principle in the preceding section also applies here. The center and goal of God’s work in the universe is to work Himself into man. Thus, any leading He gives man is not outward and objective but rather inward and subjective. Moreover, He leads man by being mingled with man and by having man mingled with Him. Those who study chemistry know that when water passes through sulfur, it becomes sulfur-water. Although it is sulfur-water, its main component is water. It is water, but it contains the element of sulfur. Likewise, when God enters into us, He not only mingles Himself with us but also includes us in Him. When God enters into us, He gives us feelings from within us. Hence, the feelings He gives definitely contain the human element. For this reason, it is difficult to discern what are our thoughts and what are feelings from God.
It is difficult but not impossible to make this distinction. We can discern first by knowing what is of our own thinking. That which is purely from our own thinking does not contain the element of God. However, that which comes from God’s feeling is understood by us in our spirit through our mind. No matter how God leads us, He will always wait until we have the understanding in our mind. In other words, before it becomes His leading, the sense that God gives us in our spirit must become our understanding in our mind. Therefore, we can see that sometimes our thought is simply our thought, but at other times our thought is the result of God’s feeling passing through us. This kind of thought is not merely our own thought, but it also has God mingled with it. Any leading that comes from God, whether it is in our thinking or it is a sense given by God, always passes through God and contains the element of God. This is certain.
There is yet another way to make this distinction. Because our thoughts are simple, whatever is from our mind often comes in spurts; it comes and goes. However, the sense that God gives is from our spirit and goes through the understanding of our mind to make it a spiritual mind. This sense does not go away easily but rather leads us continually within. An idea that comes from our own thinking goes away quickly. However, if a sense comes from the Holy Spirit, it does not let us go easily. If God gives us a sense today and we obey, it will pass, but if we do not obey, it will come again tomorrow. If we still do not obey, it will come again the next day and the day after that.
Moreover, we must realize that whereas our thoughts are shallow, the feelings from the Holy Spirit are deep. Hence, we may analyze and make the distinction in this way: any thought that comes from us is momentary and shallow, but any sense that comes from the Spirit is lasting and deep.
Strictly speaking, however, there is no need for this kind of analysis. If we have fellowship with the Lord within, it does not matter if we make a few mistakes. For example, when you go somewhere for the first time, it is normal if you take the wrong way, because you are not familiar with the route. If you dare not go out alone for fear of taking the wrong way, you will never become familiar with the routes. However, if you go out every day, regardless of whether you take the right way or the wrong way, you will eventually become very familiar with the streets and roads. Many brothers and sisters never take a step because they are always afraid of making a mistake. Consequently, after ten years they still do not know which way is right and which way is wrong. But if your attitude is that you will correct yourself after you have made a mistake, it is certain that the more mistakes you make, the more familiar you will be with the streets. After taking the wrong way several times, you will gradually become familiar with the roads. If someone intentionally takes the wrong way, that is degradation. For example, if your destination is National Taiwan University, yet because your heart is set to go to Grass Mountain, you purposely go in the direction that leads to the mountain, of course you will not arrive at the university. Intentional mistakes are wrong, but inadvertent mistakes are helpful to you. Therefore, you should not be afraid; rather, you should simply go.
We must know that everything is controlled by God and not by us. How could you have known that you would come to Taiwan? How could you have known that you would not be going to the United States? Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart devises his way, / But Jehovah directs his steps.” A man may devise and choose his own way, but the One who controls his steps is Jehovah. God directed your steps to Taiwan and mine to the United States. He directed you into business and me into ministering the word. All those who have known me for some time know that my original burden was in northern China. The saints in China said that Brother Lee was starting the “Three Norths Company of China,” the three norths being the north, the northeast, and the northwest. Truthfully, I never even dreamed that I would come to Taiwan, and even less did I have the intention to go overseas. Nothing is up to us. All that matters is our heart’s intent; whether or not we make mistakes is secondary.
If your intention is not to make mistakes, you should not be afraid to be confined under God’s hand. For example, how do you know that it is right for you to live in the dormitory? Also, how do you know whether you should stay indoors or go out? Perhaps there is a boy outside who will just happen to throw a stone that hits you. Wherever your circumstances arrange for you to be, you should simply remain there and not be concerned with whether or not it is right. Whether or not an accident will befall us is not in our hands. We should simply trust the Lord.
We must emphasize again that the most important thing is our intention. If my intention is to fear the Lord and seek the Lord’s way, even if I make a mistake, it will become right because my desire is to take the Lord’s way. In terms of reasoning, this may be wrong, but in terms of principle, it is right. Someone who is wrong in principle but right in reasoning may be compared to a blind cat that catches a dead mouse. Christians should not be right in reasoning; they should be right in principle. To be right in principle means that in our heart we want only God and that we therefore obey any feeling that comes from God. It does not matter if we make a mistake in a certain matter, for our principle is right.
Our fellowship regarding these questions is very precious. I hope that you young people will faithfully take this way and not merely gain some doctrinal understanding.