“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”
A physician-turned-preacher asked that question. In his classic book, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure, Dr. David Martin Lloyd-Jones wrote:
Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but there they are, talking to you…. Who’s talking? Your self is talking to you…. The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself.
You may have never thought about your interior life like that, but it’s true. Throughout the day, you are either listening as your self talks you out of a commitment, or you’re telling yourself to rise to it. You are either listening as your self flogs you for your worthlessness, or you’re reminding yourself that you’re a child of the King.
You need to talk to yourself instead of just listening to yourself.
At the start of a new year, I often turn to Psalm 121. The poet of this composition was beginning a journey, and a new year is like starting on an adventure, too.
In the first two verses, he speaks about himself: “I lift up my eyes . . . my help comes from the Lord.” But in the rest of the psalm, he speaks to himself: “He will not let your foot slip, the Lord watches over you, the Lord will keep you from all harm.”
What is he doing? He’s preaching to himself: “Soul, whatever anxiety you feel as you set out on this journey, know that God will be with you every step you take.”
As you begin this new journey called 2024, decide to talk to yourself more than you listen to yourself. Read Psalm 121 and convince your soul of the same truths the poet told his own soul to remember!
If you want more help on this subject, we’ll dive deep into Psalm 121 at Hillcrest this Sunday at 10am. See you on campus or online.
--Tom
Sign up here to receive Tom Goodman’s weekly devotional in your email inbox. Tom serves as pastor at Hillcrest Church in Austin, Texas. His sermons are available on YouTube and the HillcrestToGo Podcast and you can find him on Facebook and Twitter.