Trusting your own Thoughts and Emotions is deadly ( Gen 3:6 ).
Any time and every time we Hear, Believe, Receive and Do things that conflict with the Word Of God we suffer loss, missing out on some aspect of Abundant Life ( Joh 10:10 ).
Whenever you examine anything you must have a standard by which to measure. If you are measuring length you use a ruler. If you are measuring weight you use scales. If you are measuring your Spiritual Health you use the Word .
See He Be Re Do for further explanation of the examination to which Paul refers.