Talking To Yourself

For those of you who know me for a long time know that I've often joked that if I ever wrote a book I would entitle it "Talking to yourself is both Scriptural and Sensible."  

Recently (January 18, 2009) Dr. C.J. Mahaney preached from Psalm 42 at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C. and said this:

"The most influential voice in your life always has your attention.  According to Paul Trip, 'no one is more influential in your life than you are because no one talks to you more than you do.  You are in an unending conversation with yourself.'

This internal conversation has the most influence on our soul than anyone else, sometimes ever more so than God.  There is a direct relationship with this conversation and the state of your soul every day.

Spiritual Depression by Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones is premised on the question:  have you realized that most of your unhappiness is due to listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?  There is a wealth of wisdom in this statement.  When you are unhappy, discern whether you are listening to yourself or talking to yourself.  We must talk truth to ourselves, preach the Gospel to ourselves.  We mainly confirm to ourselves what we hear from ourselves.  Then we wonder why we are in turmoil.  We must interrupt the ceaseless listening and instead examine, challenge, and talk to ourselves.  It is a learned skill.  Talking truth to yourself requires effort. One conversation normally won't be sufficient.  Souls are not normally cooperative and transformed by a single, brief exhortation."