“I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.”

Jeremiah 5:22 ESV

Realizing that I have never had good control over my thoughts and feelings was a turning point. A biblical counselor once told me that my feelings were my idol. It was a tough truth to swallow. No wonder I had difficulty making sound decisions. Negative thoughts flooded my mind, resulting in anxiety and depression.

Have you ever felt consumed and controlled by your feelings? Ones that say, I am inadequate, or I deserve to be miserable. It feels like I am standing in an ocean in waist-high water, helpless to the incoming waves. I’m battered and tossed by unrelenting salt water while striving to keep my balance in the shifting sand.

I am learning that I do not have to remain a victim of destructive thoughts and feelings such as self-doubt, fear, or anger. At the sea, I can turn around and walk back onto the dry beach. Then, when I watch the uproar of the waves, I feel safe and calm. Similarly, I can step back from my tumultuous thoughts, observe them, and decide whether to accept or reject them.

The boundary between the sand and the sea is a powerful reminder that I do not have to let my thoughts and feelings overtake me. I can create a safe space, a boundary, where I can look at things from a safe vantage point. This boundary gives me a sense of control and peace, reassuring me that I oversee my emotions.

Maybe this is what is meant by 2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV), which says, We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

This verse reminds me it is possible to take our thoughts captive and gain control and peace instead of letting them prevail and roar over us.

Karen Sims