““The heart is deceitful above all things And it is extremely sick; Who can understand it fully and know its secret motives?”

Jeremiah‬ ‭17:9‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Have you have heard someone say, “I should have followed my first mind?” In most cases, it’s said right after someone makes a mistake or does something that causes confusion later on. It makes it seem as though the first thought they had was “spirit led” as we say in the church—that the first mind is the God mind. I, too, used to be really into that kind of reasoning because it so often appeared that my initial idea would have worked better than the one I went with.

But God began to challenge this concept for me—both as I observed others and what I personally experienced. And what I found is that the scripture about the “heart” is a whole vibe. Lemme explain.

Jeremiah 17:9 says the HEART [inner man, will, mind, thought process, and emotion state of man] is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked—who can know it?

What does this mean? It simply means that your flesh in conjunction with the devil, the great deceiver, always outchea playing tricks on you. Besides your emotions, feelings, will power, thoughts, and belief systems, you also have hidden motives in your heart that you don’t even know about that alter what and how you think, respond, and react. So:

Your first mind ain’t always the right one either—that’s a misconception and old wives tales that people use to recast mistakes they’ve made when they didn’t seek God in the first place. It’s the ultimate form of hindsight wielded as condemnation, a way to excuse or accuse yourself of not asking God first.

Sometimes, the first thought is from God; sometimes, it is not. Sometimes what you think is the HOLY spirit talking to you ISN’T.

Satan knows you very well and can mimick God well enough for you to be tricked IN YOUR OWN MIND when you’re under duress or emotional pressure or just in your feelings period. He’s so well versed at what makes you stumble that he uses those hidden motives and desires and unresolved traumas and issues and resentments (that you keep pretending aren’t there) to make you think you’re hearing the voice of God when you’re actually catering to your flesh.

Remember: the scripture says, your heart is wicked— who can even understand it? Guess what?

“I, the Lord, search and examine the mind, I test the heart, To give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.”

Jeremiah‬ ‭17:10‬ ‭AMP‬‬

God knows it, so always ask God! It’s okay and not unfaithful to say, “God, is it YOU leading me to say or do this?” God never keeps wisdom from his children and will let you know which way to go every time. God promises to withhold no good thing from those who walk according to His word, and whatever you ask believing and with a pure heart? God will give—especially wisdom and understanding.

Moreover, as you begin to read the word of good—truly ingest it like food and water—you will begin to know upfront what your “first mind” might be leading you to! Anything that doesn’t conform to the WILL of God, the PURPOSES of God, the CHARACTER of God, and the PRINCIPLES of God? It’s a no. The goal is to be in formation; when you are aligned properly, that alignment alone begins to weaken and silence the voices that would have you in opposition to God’s position.

Don’t allow adages to control how you think or which thought you act upon. Listen for the voice of God; do His will and be made glad.