When I was young, my mother tried to teach me the jitterbug. I did well when it came to “freestyle,” but when it came to dancing with a partner, I couldn’t get it. I struggled to yield to another. When two people dance, one must lead, and one follows, otherwise you get sore toes. Thus, the key decision before the music starts is – who’s leading?
Our daily lives are kind of like dancing. We go through our days, with a head full of thoughts and ideas and worrisome notions. Lines of thinking come and go and cross each other in waves, sometimes tying us up in big knots. I don’t know about you, but I can really get stuck in my head with so many thoughts vying for my attention. The thoughts we think are like dance partners, whirling and twirling us across the ballroom floor of life. But who’s leading the dance?
Modern life bombards us with problems to ponder and big questions to answer. What we watch, see and hear captures our attention and leads us down pathways of thought. As we spend time there thinking things through, we feel and form conclusions. Our conclusions become our beliefs. Our beliefs affect how we act or shall I say – dance.
THE CHOICE TO FALL IN STEP 
Thoughts come to us from three sources. Some are prompted by God’s Spirit; some are our own thoughts; and some come from evil forces from the Kingdom of Darkness. With all that thinking being “thunk,” being aware of who’s leading is key to a peaceful mind.
Thoughts start with sentences and words in the mind. We have monologues and dialogues going. At times we even fight with ourselves! Here is where we choose our dance partner. We can follow thoughts of disaster and darkness or follow hope and light. It’s all a choice.
STRANGE DANCE PARTNERS
Lately I am more aware of getting stuck in pessimistic thinking. When I find myself feeling agitated or anxious or fearful, I realize my thoughts have taken me somewhere gloomy. It’s an indicator that I’ve yielded to dark thinking and I’m dancing with strange dance partners.
Many strange partners wait in the wings, to get a spot on our dance card and capture our attention. Strong feelings rise and fall. Anxiety, depression, offence, outrage, hopelessness, jealousy, resentment, etc., these dark feelings come from somewhere. When you find yourself there, it’s time to ask:
WHAT am I thinking about?
WHY am I thinking this?
Becoming aware of your thought life is difficult at first and just like dancing, takes practice. But as we become aware, we can begin to untangle some dark thinking.
LIKE A SHEPHERD LEADS 
I find it funny that the first mention of the word TO LEAD in scripture involved a shepherd. In the story of Jacob and Esau, they planned to travel to the city of Seir. Jacob as a shepherd knew the fast-paced travel would prove too difficult for his flocks with nursing lambs. He told Esau to go on ahead, and he would “lead on softly” the flocks, providing them pasture and water. Genesis 33:14
Psalm 23 immediately comes to mind, green pastures and still waters. A shepherd leads the flock, gently, with rest and refreshing. In John 10, Jesus tells us, He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. He gently and kindly leads us. Jesus calls His sheep by name; we know His voice. When God leads our thoughts, He refreshes us with peace and joy and we know the One leading is taking us to green pastures.
Selah!
WHEN GOD LEADS.
King David, also a shepherd, understood leading. He cried out to God to lead him in truth and righteousness, by His light and path, to a Rock that is higher, and in the Way everlasting. God leads us by His Word and Spirit. He speaks into our hearts and minds reminding us of the truth of His Word.
Isaiah provides an apt description of how God leads us.
Yes, you will go out with JOY
and be led forth with PEACE
Isaiah 55:12a TLV
When God’s thoughts are mixed with mine, I am led with joy and peace. When I find myself caught in anxiety, impatience, or worry I know I am following the voice of a stranger and not my Good Shepherd.
THE ABCs TO PEACE AND JOY
There is a reason for the term “train of thought.” Someone is the conductor on that train! Someone is leading! It’s good to be aware of who that is and where exactly that train is headed. Here’s a way to untangle any trip taking you in the wrong direction.
1 – AWARE – Be aware of your thoughts. Listen to the sentences ringing in your mind, calling for attention. Are you stewing in fearful, angry, offended thoughts? Be aware of the precise thoughts circulating in your mind. This is hard work and the enemy will resist you but push through. Ask:
WHAT am I thinking?
WHY and I thinking this?
Will This lead me to peace and joy and refreshing?
2 – BAROMETER – When I feel strongly about something, I use the Joy and Peace Barometer to know Who’s leading. I stop, take account and ask myself –
WHAT is behind this feeling?
Is it something I have the power to change?
Is there joy and peace in it?
If there is no peace and joy present, I KNOW God is not leading me. Another force is tangling me up and I am joining them in the dance, headed somewhere dark.
GOD leads with – Peace, Joy, Gentleness, Love, Hope and Confidence.
The Kingdom of Darkness leads with – anger, offense, jealousy, oppression, hatred, anxiety, etc.
3 – CAPTURE – the thoughts and take them CAPTIVE. Lies come as thoughts from the Kingdom of Darkness. They work to steal our peace and joy in God. Once we are aware and recognize who’s leading, it’s time to get to work.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly
but powerful through God for the tearing down of strongholds.
We are tearing down false arguments
5 and every high-minded thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God.
We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Messiah.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 TLV
We all know the instructions, but are we doing it? Our struggle is in the invisible realm and our job is to steady our thinking with God’s truth.
HIGH-MINDED THINGS 
We are up against forces that want to make themselves seem so big and formidable in our minds that there is no hope and we feel trapped. They want us to believe lies that Father God can not help the situation. These are the strange dance partners we battle in our thinking.
It starts with thoughts, so this is where we work. When what we are thinking does not measure up to God’s Word. We have to catch it and remove it. God’s Word is His thought and that is what must lead us.
SOME HIGH-MINDED THINGS
Comparison draws our attention to the “perfect life” of others and convinces us we are substandard.
Performance convinces us that we must work to be accepted and loved by others or by God.
Worry convinces us that something tragic is about to happen at any time. It convinces us the worst-case scenario is true and that no one can stop it.
Hatred convinces us that other people or groups are inferior or have no right to even exist. It divides people, families, churches, even nations.
Unforgiveness convinces us that what was done to us is unforgiveable and that we should never offer forgiveness. Jesus told us unless we forgive another, we can not be forgiven by God.
Obedience to Jesus – When you catch those pesky lies, they have to leave the dancefloor as the King comes into the picture. Believe the Word of God over the lies and make the thoughts cease.
CHOOSE PEACE!
God’s thoughts are so much higher than our own. When we follow Him, we find peace.
We may ask, how can we have peace when the world is raging with war and injustice? How can we have peace when the foundations are crumbling? How can we have hope when a child rebels or cancer rages?
Sisters and brothers, we are the only ones on this planet who have the capacity for true hope and peace, regardless of the circumstances. We need to practice peace to help others.
You keep in perfect peace one whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You.
Isaiah 26:3 TLV
When darkness calls us to look and grieve and think despairing thoughts, God calls us to look at Him, to trust Him and have hope. He is our Good Shepherd leading us to greener pastures.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
whatever is honorable,
whatever is just,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is commendable
– if there is any virtue
and if there is anything worthy of praise –
dwell on these things.
Philippians 4:8 TLV
Wonderful! Wisdom for the wise. He who has ears …