Some say that talking to yourself is a sign of madness; others that talking to yourself is O.K., but answering back is risky! Whether we acknowledge that we talk to ourselves (not necessarily outloud) or not, the fact remains that there is an internal dialogue that goes on in our hearts and minds which deserves investigation at times to find out why we think as we do or why we behave in a certain way.
Whatever we may feel about talking to ourselves, God’s Word encourages us to speak truth to ourselves. Ps 42:5 says ‘Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.’ (see also Ps 42:11). Ps 57:8 is a command to ourselves: ‘Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.’ Ps 62:5 is another example of the power of speaking truth to ourselves: ‘Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.’ Clearly, God understands that there are times when we need to speak truth into our own hearts.
Matt Redman’s songs frequently capture this need, which is an essential element of praise (we often have to encourage ourselves to do this: if we waited until we felt like praising God, we would probably only rarely praise Him…!) I recently heard the song ‘The Awesome God You Are’, with its lovely line ‘To my heart I preach Your sovereignty and the power of Your name.’ It is easy for us to doubt God’s sovereignty and power; we frequently feel fearful and uncertain and often question God’s goodness and kindness. It’s at times like that that we need to preach to ourselves, to speak truth to our own hearts, to declare truth, even if it contradicts our feelings. Songs can be a great way of doing that, I’ve found. By the end of them, I even believe what I’ve been singing!
‘Let Your majesty speak peace to me
And chase my fears away.
To my heart I preach Your sovereignty
And the power of Your name.
I’ll stand in awe of You alone.
God, let hope arise
And faith become the fortress of my heart.
I will lift my eyes and see You
As the awesome God You are,
Believe You as the awesome God You are.
You’re the glory of our brightest days,
The comfort of our nights.
When the darkest shades are all we see,
You’re the everlasting light.
And see You on Your throne so high above,
See You watching over me in love,
I will worship You and You alone,
The awesome God You are.’ (‘The Awesome God You Are’, Matt Redman, Jason Ingram & Ed Cash)
[God’s awesomeness… see Ps 68:35, Ex 15:11, Deut 7:21, Neh 1:5, Job 37:22, Ps 89:7, Dan 9:4 if you need more truth to speak into your own heart.]
