Talk to yourself much?

 If you ever were to walk into the Summer's Best Two Weeks office in the off-season it's quite possible you might hear one of our full time staff guys talking to himself.  Granted, all of us do this from time to time, but this person does it often.  Most commonly he can be heard pumping himself up, saying, "C'mon [insert name]" or sighs of discouragement "ohhh [insert name]!!"  Interestingly, this practice is found in the Bible. 


In Psalm 43, verses 1-2, we find the Psalmist having a rough day...perhaps a rough week.  To summarize:  he has been treated deceitfully and unjustly, he feels rejected, and, he's mourning because he also feels oppressed.  Not exactly a day to write home about.  Notice though how he responds.  He does two things.

First, he prays.  He asks God to deliver him.  He asks God to send forth light and truth.  To ask for light and truth is asking for the ability to see better.  So often the thing we need most when we find ourselves down in the dumps is not escape, but perspective.  He recognizes when his perspective about his circumstances is correct he will rightly be drawn to God for joy and delight instead of relying upon delightful life circumstances.  How about you do you need a fresh perspective this week?
Have you asked God about it?

Second, he talks to himself.  He says, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."  Do you see who he is talking to?  He's talking to his soul, which is himself.  These words may fit perfectly for your life right now.  You might ask yourself, "Why so blue?"  Then you might pump yourself up just like the psalmist, saying "C'mon my soul...hope in God."  This can be a very effective way of turning our mood around.

In his famous devotional My Utmost For His Highest Oswald Chambers essentially gives the same advice.  He says, "Moods go by kicking. A mood nearly always has its seat in the physical condition, not in the moral.  It is a continual effort not to listen to the moods which arise from a physical condition: never submit to them for a second.  We have to take ourselves by the scruff of the neck and shake ourselves, and we will find that we can do what we said we could not.  The curse with most of us is that we won't.  The Christian life is one of incarnate spiritual pluck."