Talking to Myself?

Have you ever found yourself having a conversation with yourself?  Perhaps even an argument with yourself?  It might sound ridiculous to think about arguing with yourself, but have you even engaged in negative self talk?  A memory comes to mind and you suddenly find yourself berating yourself...and where does that lead?

Imagine being King David, beloved of God.  One would think he would have only good things to say to himself. After all, he was God's chosen King of Israel.  He was the one God appointed to face Goliath and win.  God had guided David's life and yet, if you read through the Psalms, you will find that David had some pretty negative conversations with himself.

"My heart pounds in my chest.

 The terror of death assaults me.
Fear and trembling overwhelm me,
    and I can’t stop shaking."  - Psalm 55:4-5

Does that sound like a man with his life all together? 

"Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?" - Psalm 42:11a

In just these two verses, and the Psalms are full of such verses, we can almost feel David's palpable dread, fear and uncertainty.  However, as happens so often in the Psalms, if we continue reading, the answer pops out like the sunshine after a storm. 

"Be gracious to me, O Lord,

    for to you do I cry all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." - Psalm 86:3-4

Many times we will hear the voice of our enemy whispering into our minds that we are old, worthless, and no longer have value.  We will hear the whispers of all the wrongs we have done, all the times we have tried and failed, all the relationships that have ended badly...because that's what the enemy does, he twists everything to cause us to look at ourselves instead at Abba!

You see, when we focus on Abba and His love for us without limit we take the whispers and negative self-talk and lay them all at His feet.  Guess what He will do?  Shine His love on them and us, and those whispers will burn away like our already defeated enemy. And then, like David wrote in Psalm 103:1 - "Praise the Lord, O my soul. With all that is within me, praise His Holy Name."