What are we that God is so much concerned? Its amazing how the holy spirit leads us.
I would like to share a small incident of a young man I came across. He approached me and said He does not feel like living anymore and wanted to end his life. He twice attempted to give up on himself but miraculously he survived and his only question was “ why am I still alive? Death never falls on me and I do not feel like living but as a final resort I shared everything with my friends but not with my family. My friends do not understand the struggle that I go through but one among them convinced me to meet you and so I have come to you. I do not have big hopes. I did not want to miss the last chance that I might regret.” Every time he travels by train to college, some voice encourages him to terminate himself by jumping off the bridge or fall out from a fast running train. He faces this struggle everyday and is unable to handle the stress he is in. It is very clear that this young boy hears voices that encourage him to die. When I asked him the reason to why he wants to die, his only answer was “ I am worthless. Why should I live? I am a burden for others. There is no hope for me. Even if I desire to sleep, there are conversations happening in my mind.”
The reason I have shared this scenario is that basically we do have a lot of conversation in our mind. This sermon that God intends to speak to you is about the words that we speak to ourselves. Many time we are not concerned about the words that we converse within ourselves. We are concerned to not utter unnecessary words before other. But no one sees ones heart and mind or the conversation you have within yourself. But we all converse. We are so influenced by these conversations that we have within ourselves than the conversations we have from others. It is said naturally out of the fullness of heart, the mouth speaks. Is it possible to change the conversations we have within ourselves?
In psychological perspective we see that talking to ourselves also known as self-talk is seen by us as an abnormality. We can see certain people talking to themselves with expressions even.
The only person we has complete control over is oneself. But we do not speak the right way to ourselves. We even talk to ourselves while hateful, disappointing and fearful situations. We rehearse as though speaking to someone near us. We self-talk while loneliness strikes. We have a control but how do we handle? What is the conversation we have within ourselves? If we could shift those conversations to proper ones or if we could align the conversations to God’s word, definitely the control God gave over ourselves will be effective. It is “I “ who choose. To worship God or not is under ones choice. Choice is the biggest thing God has given you. The choice that we make can be corrupted by our words that is within you. We are very much careful to listen to conversations that come out from others. It is needed. But there is one another thing which we get deceived of. Some we tend to filter words we speak even in anger. But sometimes we get deceived by the conversation we have within ourselves. “Be not deceit evil communications corrupt good manners” The conversation you have within yourself can corrupt your good manners. God insists us to be aware on this. We have to be very careful.
Jesus said in Mathew 12: 36 and 37 “ but I say unto you, that every idol word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by the words thou shall be justified and by the words thou shall be condemned” How many times have we taken this verse for the inner conversations? The bible time and again speaks about people who spoke to themselves. This is not psychological but biblical proven that they have conversed to themselves. They have set right certain things within themselves. During situations they have sat alone and conversed with themselves before they could face situations. we will not go unpunished for the words that we speak within ourselves. Such conversations will be accounted as well. When our past is tragic and the past repeats itself, if the situation is that, definitely we will sit and talk within ourselves. The fearful words spoken by others may get repeated within you and you may dwell in those words and you may converse on it. And God says that those words will come into judgment. Because those are the words that will either judge you or condemn you. We should be careful of what runs in our hearts. Let us be consciously aware and work on this intentionally.
In counseling the most important is intentionality. One must intentionally listen to others. One has to force themselves to listen to someone. When I taught my class about intentionality, they were able to practice. I was astonished to see that God has designed us in a way that we are in the image of God and has given us a skill of submitting ourselves that one has command over oneself. It is a wonderful thing that differentiates us from other creation. God has given this skill to all. And that is why non-believers do certain things through will power. It is the benefit of the design God has give us. If this design is failed to use properly, how can we give accountable? We are accountable much more because the word of God is spoken to us. We know Grace is given to us all. Thus we need to be conscious and set things right.
The following examples of men and woman spoken about in the Bible shows how they conversed within themselves to fight situations they face just as we do.
David says “ stand in awe and sin not. Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still.” David speaks these words when he is triggered with anger. If you are not conscious about what you communing within yourself, you are going to sin.
“Blessed the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me. Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all His benefits.” This is how we conclude every prayer we say. This is a verse spoken by David to himself. He takes command of every being of himself. On ones command, ones body must respond. One ones command ones emotions must settle. That is the command God has given us. On such command David speaks to himself in this verse. He commands his memory not to forget all His benefits. In Psalm 103, David speaks to himself remembering everything God has done for him. David was not a very righteous man. When you read through the book of Samuel and Chronicles, everything he did we disappointed in the eyes of God. But God calls him as a man after His own heart. We have command over our families, if we are teachers we have command over our students and in our profession and the rest we have control over them. But where do we lack finding control? Within ourselves. The only place we have given authority to control is over us and we are not granted permission to take control over others.
There is another person who speaks to himself. A man named Jacob, the bible speaks about. In his death bed, he speaks about his sons. He speaks to his own soul as said in Genesis 49:6 “O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united; or in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall.” In this verse he instructs us to speak to ourselves and set limits. As the psalm 1:1 says as well “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” One has to tell himself saying walk not, stand not and sit not. Jacob, man of God converse within himself to not to unite with such people.
The Bible speaks about another woman of God named Deborah who victoriously says in Judges 5:21 “ The river kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river kishon. March on , my soul; be strong!” The days of Deborah were filled with battles and women were looked down upon. But Deborah strengthened herself with those words and she became the strength to Israel during hardships. In your life, when situations are wrong and we are in a battle, what is the conversation within ourselves? Outwardly we show ourselves that we are hopeful and strong but inside we fear. But when we have a healthy conversation of victory within ourselves, just as Deborah did, you are the winner! We have to align our conversation to the word of God at all times. Before we could speak to others, let us speak to ourselves saying “ Bless the lord oh my soul. He forgives my sin. He is slow to anger. His loving kindness is great.”
Apostle Paul says about the sufferings he went through in 2 Corinthians 11. But in the end he says “who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?” This was his conversation. This was the reason he was able to face all that happened around him. If he was terrified of such situations, he no longer would have continued his ministry. In spite all sufferings he says that it was never him but Christ who lives inside of him. “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
When you are discouraged, dwelling in a fear of failure, you tend to speak to people and receive sympathy form others. When we have wrong conversation within ourselves, we lose control over ourselves, our behavior changes and actions change. We may even take wrong decisions and be in an unstable mind which will lead to not to speak to God and not read the word of God. But that is when we need to take command of ourselves. Never lose control of yourself for your body. The body may convince you to avoid getting closer to God but never give into it. If you lose control over yourself the body will over take. So have control based on the word of God. Psalm 42: 11 says “ why art thou cast down. O my soul? And why are thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” This is exactly what happens to one who converse within his soul to hope unto God. The end result is God becomes the health of his countenance. If we become strong in this, we are always successful and nothing more is needed. We shall always reign if we have healthy conversation within ourselves. Make your communication right before God. Pick up the word of God and converse.
1 Samuel 30:6 says “ And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” David did not go to his close ones and spoke. He did not do anything to find comfort from others. But David found his courage in the Lord. We always miss the silent time we are meant to have with God. Instead we waste our time worrying and sharing and trying to come up with solutions with the help of others. It is never wrong to find safety among the people of God but before we do that, we need to speak to ourselves and align our conversations to the word of God and then set up a stage to speak with others.
What are the ways to encourage yourself and speak to yourself?
The Bible says “ Bless the Lord all his works and places of dominion. Bless the Lord oh my soul.” You can speak to your soul looking at the beautiful creation God has created. Read Psalm 103 in a way that you say it to your soul. All this while you might read this verse in a way it is spoken by someone else to you. But read it in a way that this chapter is said by you to yourself. In this chapter David reminds himself of the time when He has brought him out of the troubles of Egypt. He repeatedly reminds his soul that the heaven and earth worship the most high so why do you worry?. “Christ within me is greater than he that is in the world.” Sometimes if the word of God doesn’t speak to you, look to the nature and remind yourself that the creator is greater and full of Glory.
In conclusion, before we could speak to others and watchful of our words, lets us be watchful of what we speak to ourselves and to our soul. Let us address ourselves before we could get into conversation or advising others. Speak to your heart and be still. Sin not. Sometimes even when our emotions rage, do not let words come out even before you align and speak to your own soul. Bring everything to rest through the word of God. “ Out of the fullness of heart, the mouth speaks.” Our words have the power to kill and to destroy and also give live. So let us align our inner conversations to the word of God.