Psalm 43:5. 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.
What do you find yourself saying to yourself each day? No one talks to you more than you do..so what are you saying to you? The anger, fear, doubt, and guilt of our daily lives is often the voice we are hearing each day. This is a false gospel of hopelessness.
The Psalms are full of self- talk. You can see an example in our Fighter Verse above. The Psalmist is talking to his own soul. He is asking himself a question and then telling himself what to do- Hope in God!
We need to learn to preach the gospel of hope to ourselves. To pound it into our own minds and hearts by constantly telling ourselves over and over what Christ has done- what he has accomplished through his incarnation, perfect life, death, and resurrection. That his glory is now your glory. That his holiness is now your holiness. That his love is now your love. That his inheritance is now your inheritance. That his family is now your family.
This self-talk or meditation allows us to constantly behold the crucified and risen Christ and thus be transformed into his likeness (1 Cor. 3:18). It brings rest to our souls. It gives courage to move forward in obedience apart from guilt and despair.
And most importantly, this self- talk is not rooted in some sort of pop psychology self-affirmation, self-esteem. It is an objective truth rooted in an actual life- Christ’s life! It is God affirmation not self- affirmation. It is the esteeming of the Trinity not the self. Our self-talk flows from the holiness, and greatness of God. A God who keeps his promise and rescues the lost.
Keep preaching this hope to yourself throughout today and every day.
