"Self-Talk" - Nonsensical Jibber-Jabber

Two practices came through to me as I was growing up under the "wings" of AA.

First, all of this talk about "self-talk" has become quite fashionable. In our schools, in our churches, in counseling sessions. Even Dr. Phil based a number of his strategies on the notion that our interior dialogue can lead us or destroy us.

Reminiscences from the past, the pains of the present, the fears of the future -- all of this can war at a person from the inside, so claim many thinkers and counselors.

The truth is, that we human beings, no matter what we have been through, have this terrible tendency of generalizing one experience as a means of protecting ourselves from the future.

That is the focal point of the whole problem: "Protecting ourselves."

All of our hurts, habits, hangups, inside-out have to do with "self".

We love ourselves so much, we castigate ourselves for not doing a better job of breaking free of an addiction, or we punish ourselves because we did not do enough to stand up to a bully in our past, or to stand up to our abusers, or we hate ourselves because we have not advanced to the degree that other people have prospered in their lives.

We love ourselves, and we love ourselves too much. For this reason we talk to ourselves, trying to make something of our current circumstance, try to get ahead of our past.

We do not need to fix ourselves. We need a new life, a new everything. We need an identity which rests on something eternal. Without God, without the righteous that His Son imparts to us, and the grace which causes us to reign in life (Romans 5: 17), we are forever trying to fix our feelings, overcome our difficulties, rehearsing and replenishing our previous hurts and fears, convinced that if we think or feel  a certain way.

We do not need more "self-talk" to get us going in this life. We need less focus on ourselves and  more focus on Himself, Jesus Christ, who supplies all our need, all our wants, everything that we have been looking for, but could never find.

His grace is sufficient for us. His grace defines us and drives us (1 Corinthians 15: 10). His grace also defends us, turning attacks into blessings (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10).

We have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all knowledge (John 16: 13). John shares in his first epistle that because of the Holy Spirit, we have all knowledge, and thus we have no need that anyone teach us anything (1 John 2: 20-27)

First of all, the Holy Spirit convicts us of righteousness, that the blood of Jesus has so perfectly cleansed us, that we need  no longer pay attention the lies of the enemy, our flesh, or the world (John 16: 10)

The message of perfect righteousness is what we need. We do not give ourselves a pep-talk, but instead we receive a greater revelation of Jesus:

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." (John 16: 13)

He will not speak of Himself, but will speak of Christ Jesus, who lives in every believer (Colossians 1: 27).

I have been so confused by the witness, or rather the witless "wisdom" of psychological experts. People are always telling us to tell ourselves wonderful things about ourselves to ourselves. No matter how strong our self-talk, the fallen nature within us communicates a negative message of "not good enough" condemnation. Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeing whom he may devour, yet if we rest in the righteousness granted to us, then we need not heed the hardening calls of condemnation which the world, ourselves,  and the Enemy try to throw at us.

Let the Word of God richly indwell in you instead (Colossians 3: 16), for His words are life to all who heed them (John 6: 63)