Called to Preach … to Yourself
I have a confession: I talk to myself. All the time. Actually, that isn’t the confession, since these internal conversations are common. The confession is that, too often, I listen to myself. I not only speak my internal thoughts aloud, I also take them seriously.
This “inner voice” is often the natural man. When he isn’t accusing, condemning, and discouraging, he is excusing, justifying, and puffing up. In either case, the result is to keep us from growing in Christ. We often pay too much attention to this inner voice, and it inhibits our sanctification.
With permission, I’ll share the story of one of my favorite golfing partners. Any golfer who hits a poor shot is familiar with the internal accuser. This individual’s accuser was quite vocal. Seemingly every poor shot was followed with the accuser’s take: “I stink … I’m the worst golfer in the world … I don’t even know why I play.” Before every challenging shot, this voice would pipe up again: “I never hit this club very well” or “there’s no way I pull this off.”
Believe it or not, he enjoyed playing the game but was constantly beset by this discouraging voice. It was evident that this mindset had a negative influence on his game. Eventually, I advised him to leave that “partner” at home and invite someone who was more encouraging. He slowly came to realize what I meant by this, and it has had a positive impact not only on his play but also his (and my) enjoyment of his game.
The natural man must not dominate our internal conversation. In Psalm 42, we find an illustration of what we should be doing: preaching to ourselves rather than listening. The psalmist recognizes the fallacy of his current emotional state and informs it with the truth of Scripture.
“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.” (Ps 42:5)
The great preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks powerfully on this topic:
"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? 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. They bring back the problem of yesterday. Somebody’s talking. Who’s talking? Your self is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment in Psalm 42 was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself, 'Why are you cast down, O my soul?' he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says: 'Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you.'" (Spiritual Depression, 20–21)
Discouragement is not the only tactic of this inner voice. The accuser becomes the excuser as the natural man also works to justify himself by telling himself that his sin is OK, rationalizing his condition because it seems “natural” to him. No! We must preach the truth of the gospel to ourselves. Paul emphasizes this point in Romans: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom 12:2). The battle over sin is in the mind, and a mind informed by the Spirit and the Word can be conformed in the image of Christ. That is why Paul was committed to “taking every thought captive in obedience to Christ” (2 Cor 10:5).
How about you? Is the working out of your faith being limited by the fact that you aren’t preaching the gospel to yourself? Do you think that you can’t perform the ministry you’ve been given? Listen instead to the truth of what God says about you. Your situation has been ordained by God and you must assure yourself that he has given you everything you need to succeed (2 Pet 1:3). Are you justifying your sin, believing that what comes naturally to you must be right? Make your own voice the voice of truth by conforming it to the truth of Scripture (Ps 119:11).
Memorize, meditate, and recite Scripture to yourself. Sing and play songs of worship that redirect your focus. Don’t trust your inner voice. Preach the gospel to allow the Holy Spirit to transform you!
As Craig would say … Love you, Grace Family!
Ron Smith
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