What Do I Do With These Thoughts?

Thoughts are powerful and controlling, sometimes seeming to come from a place where we have no authority. We cannot, at times, control them. Why is that? In this infinite universe, it seems that our biggest enemy, at times, is within the microcosm of our brain. Is it that we are not organized in our thinking, thus producing chaos? Is it that we need to learn more, or haven't been good enough students, thereby not able to answer the questions that our thoughts pose? Are we all, in some measure, mentally ill?

As I 'think' about this dilemma, this is what I come up with. There is a giant paradox in the world today. It is described in two portions of scripture, Genesis 3:5 and 1 Corinthians 8:2. This is what they show us:
Because of the fall of man, particularly the partaking of the forbidden fruit, man has known good and evil. Before that, he only knew good. Now, he knows the extremes in both. Now he plays with that knowledge, manipulates with it, makes rules, laws, etc. It seems he knows too much!
But then, even though we know much, we seem to continue to fail, because we know nothing as we ought to know it!
So how 'ought we' to know? For Adam and Eve, all they needed to know was that which God told them. He led them, guided them, cared for them, and blessed them. But as soon as they new good and evil, they were in competition with Him, for they felt as if they knew as He knew. Now they were afraid of Him. They wanted to perform to keep him happy. They knew there were consequences for evil, but were willing to take their chances with it. The problem is, they knew God-things without God-understanding. It was like fire in the hands of children. Man continually hurt himself with what he knew.
It is the same today with us. We know too much, yet we know nothing as we ought. Our real need is to learn to listen. We must strive for mastery, yes. But hearing God is what we must master. Nothing else. Just as it was in the garden, today He will guide us, empower us, gives us wisdom, and bless us beyond our imagination. But we have to pay attention to Him first. Give Him our primary consideration.

Well, Heaven is always speaking. There is always good news coming to us from God. If we take heed, we will know as we ought to know, and we will bring our thoughts in captivity.