How to Talk to Yourself

Mat 9:20-22 “And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”

Prov 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Words carry power. God is here, but you have to reach for Him.

This story of the woman who was healed of the issue of blood after 12 years happens in the middle of a rabbi whose daughter was dying. This woman’s life had been brought to poverty because of her illness.

It doesn’t matter who you are, how rich or how poor, Jesus is here to touch you.

Notice the words she spoke to herself. Everyone talks to themselves. People talk to themselves when they fail and when they’re trying to figure out something. The important thing is to recognize that what we say to ourselves matters.

We are influenced by what others say to us. That’s why it’s important to discriminate what you listen to. What you listen to influences your decision-making process. A wrong word can mar a life for a lifetime.

How many children have been scolded by a parent or teacher that affected them for the rest of their lives? Children live up to both good and poor expectations.

If the wrong words can do harm, the right words can do endless good.

Prov 25:11 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

Words can move us from spiritual sleep to hot zeal for God. Words are powerful. Words can change our attitude, our thinking, our trajectory of life.

Speak life. The power of the spoken word, the gospel, changes lives. Be careful what you say to each other. Words have the power to kill and to make alive.

1 Thes 5:11 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

If you want to be promoted, bless someone else. Get your focus on somebody else. That’s what real ministry is all about. Build each other up. It’s ‘There you are,’ not ‘Here I am.’

God is trying to illuminate our thinking, to shed light on the fact that what we say to ourselves matters. The way we talk to ourselves has an effect on outcomes and attitudes. It’s important to God and should be important to us. What you say to yourself, shows in your heart.

Luke 12:15-21 “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

It’s fine to be rich, but it’s not okay to not be rich toward God. This man wasn’t appreciated of God, unthankful, and he didn’t care about other people either.

In fact, this man showed anxiety. ‘What shall I do?’ It didn’t occur to him to give or share or care about others.

Money is not the answer to all your problems. If you don’t have God in the middle of it all, you’re going to have a mess. The flesh is never full. There is always craving for more and more and more.

The man decided to pull down his barns, it was all about himself.

‘Man proposes, but God disposes.’ You can make all the plans you want, but God actually makes things happen. Put God in the middle of your planning. He will always lead you right.

This man owed his livelihood, everything to God, but he didn’t recognize that fact.

You don’t have to do anything to go to hell, but you do have to choose to go to heaven. You can’t get into heaven by accident. You’ve got to do it God’s way. He made a way for you, but you have to choose to take it. Repent, be baptized in Jesus’ name, and be filled with His Spirit, and then continue living your life according to His will, His way.

The rich man was a fool and his soul was required of him when he died. God owns your soul and He will take it back again at death. You choose heaven or hell. What will you choose?

The rich man died like a beggar, taking nothing with him. It doesn’t matter what all you accumulate, this doesn’t increase your human value. Why do people ascribe self-worth based on things, accomplishments, power, or beauty? Human value is based on what God thinks, and He thinks you’re worth the sacrifice of His life.

It’s alright to have plans but involve God in your plans. He sees what you can’t. Including Him will only benefit you. Become rich toward Jesus.

Some people may be smart in money and finances, but they don’t have the wisdom to plan for their eternal retirement. What about after death? What about your soul? Plan for eternity too.

Become rich toward God.

Luke 12:22,33-34 “And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Jesus is the treasure of heaven. Your heart is with your treasure. Let your heart and your greatest treasure be in heaven.

Eph 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Luke 18:22 “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”

Jesus is our greatest treasure.

1 Tim 6:17-19 “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

Rev 3:17-19 “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

You’ve got to be willing to allow God to help you see, especially those things you can’t see. Gold is faith tried in the fire. Jesus loves you so much that He will tell you hard things to get those destructive things out of your soul.

This woman with the issue of blood was socially an outcast. She couldn’t go to church. She was determined to get a cure. She went from physician to physician. This went on for 12 years. ‘A man will give everything he has for his body.’ (Job) She could’ve complained, but she didn’t.

Job 2:4 “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.”

Over 2/3 of all research is for pain and suffering. Pain is physical, but suffering is an emotional state because of pain. It is possible to have intense pain and yet not suffer. Suffering is because of uncertainty, a troubled mind. Pain killers will not take away suffering. Suffering is pain augmented by a bleak imagination. What you think matters. You can increase or decrease suffering by what you say to yourself.

This woman with the issue of blood spoke to herself. She never gave up. She was still sick, but it wasn’t over yet. She was broke, but she didn’t give up. She heard about Jesus and went after Him. She knew that if it didn’t work, she wouldn’t be any worse off, but she chose to go after Him. She kept her hope alive. She kept fighting.

Don’t ever talk yourself out of victory.

Psalm 91:2 “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”

David spoke to himself about God, ‘He is my fortress, MY GOD, in HIM will I trust!’

‘I will arise…’

Luke 15:17-20 “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father…”

The prodigal spoke to himself before going back home. Then, he did it.

What you say to yourself matters.

What are you saying to yourself about your life? What are you saying to yourself about your future?

The promises are for you!

More Questions for Personal or Group Study:

1. How do you talk to yourself? What do you say to yourself if you fail at something? What do you think to yourself if you succeed at something?
2. How does the story of the Prodigal Son encourage you? How can you be more like David and encourage yourself better?
3. Read 2 Cor 10:5. Do you challenge your thoughts/feelings? How can you do a better job at ‘taking captive every thought’ and saying, ‘No!’ to those things that don’t agree with Scripture?
4. What changes will you make so that your thoughts better reflect what God thinks about you?

Excerpted from a sermon preached by Pastor George Szabolcsi.

For the full YouTube audio/video, click here.