How Do You Talk To Yourself?

Ephesians 5:18-20 says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

What we allow to influence us determines how we speak to ourselves. 

Think about your thoughts for a moment. 

What have you thought about today?

Have you had an inner dialogue rehearsing a conversation with someone?

Did you make a mistake recently that you keep replaying in your mind?

Are you planning your week, the budget, and the grocery list?

What are your thoughts spiritually?

If you have spent time with worldly friends, romance novels, and social media, then I would guess that your thoughts do not look anything like hymns, songs, and melodies. 

If you have indulged in sin, your thoughts are not thanks and praise to God.

This portion of Scripture is vital to the Christian. Everything affects you. This is why you must guard your heart.

When you stop singing unto the Lord, you will stop praising and giving thanks, too. Your heart and mind will be turned from thoughts of God little by little. Then, before long, you are living apart from Him completely. This is Satan’s whole agenda. 

The music you listen to matters. Worldly music does not encourage you to think of or praise God. Sadly, much of today’s “contemporary Christian” music doesn’t either. Thankfully, God has given us the book of Psalms. One hundred fifty chapters we can turn to to help us praise the Lord and sing unto Him. We have technology that allows easy access to good, godly music anytime we want. The problem is we don’t want it like we should. 

The placement of this passage is no mistake. While it is meant for every Christian, it shows us that our thinking affects our relationship with others. God put this before His instructions for the home. 

If you do not talk to yourself with godly words, it will come out in your actions. A spouse or parent who is full of the world and themselves will not be a thankful person who leads their home toward godliness. Speaking to yourself in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs keeps your mind on the Lord and His Word, reminding you how you ought to live. This is the testimony you should have among others, especially your family. 

Another point we can learn from this is that we must learn to go to the Lord for ourselves. We must know His Word, not just what others say about It, so we can bring it to our minds and speak to ourselves biblically. 

Additionally, talking to yourself this way keeps you from saying ungodly things. Again, this is positioned before the family passage, which makes me think of the disappointments, disagreements, and disputes that will happen in the home. Words hurt, but when you are filled with the Spirit, things will be handled in a biblical way that does not cause further damage. In those times of discord, you may be disappointed with your spouse. If you do not learn to go to the Lord and speak to yourself as He has instructed, your emotions and the devil will cause more problems. Satan will cause more division by spreading lies and changing your view of your spouse. You should not doubt that your spouse loves you even in an argument. But this is often the first place satan attacks. Too many spouses say, “Well if my spouse loved me, they’d….” You fill in the blank. This is a way Satan causes division. The only way to combat his lies is with God’s Truth. Learn to speak to yourself with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. 

There have been many trials in my life when God has brought a song to my mind to comfort me. Many Christians go to “It Is Well,” It’s one of my favorites, along with many passages of Scripture. 

You must learn to encourage yourself based on Scripture in any circumstance. 

This is why the Lord told us exactly what to think on: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬). He didn’t say to dwell on the hurts and the what-ifs. He didn’t say it was okay to replay an argument in our minds to rethink what we should have said. He said to think only about these things. 

In contrast, let’s look at a moment of David thinking to himself. “And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath” (‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭27‬:‭1‬-‭2‬). David was in fear for his life, and rightfully so. Saul pursued hard after David for a long time. He is at a low point here and thinks that he will die at the hand of Saul. God had told him that he would be king. David knew he wouldn’t die yet. But in his flesh and weariness, he had a moment of doubt. He began to play this out in his mind, and his solution was to flee to another country. God didn’t tell him to fear or to flee. He didn’t tell David to come up with a solution. Friend, God is not telling you to, either. Trust Him. Even in the weariness and fear. 

Just three chapters later, we find, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” ‭‭(1 Samuel‬ ‭30‬:‭6‬). David was distressed, but he found encouragement in the Lord. This didn’t immediately remove his problem, but it did move his focus. 

Like David, you must learn to encourage yourself in the Lord, regardless of circumstances. 

Choose to fill your mind with the things of God: Scripture, prayer, hymns, and spiritual songs. 

Stay in the Word, stay close to the Shepherd, and let Him lead you in paths of righteousness.

With Hope in His Service, 

Heather