It is OK to Talk to Yourself

“I will also meditate on all your work, and consider your doings.” Psalm 77:12

Sometimes my mind collapses on itself. Going from large, creative thinking full of vision and possibilities I find myself narrowly focused on my own problems in the small circle I inhabit. Though I live in a town with around 35,000 people within a 30 mile radius, I think mostly about myself and a small handful of others. And though I live in a state that includes some of the most beautiful shoreline in the world, I don’t leave the concrete and asphalt of my own home and a few blocks of downtown.


The universe is endless and I become preoccupied with the muscle pain in my legs from an afternoon filled with outdoor chores yesterday. Though I know I have myriad friends who care about me, I simply recirculate my own thoughts alone. And though God inhabits every molecule of creation over which He holds sovereign sway, I let daily irritants drag my thinking down to a powerless black hole of impatience.

I feel so rejected by God. I wonder if His lovingkindness has simply vanished. Where is His compassion? Perhaps He is angry and is withholding his grace from me. Sometimes my mind closes in on itself that I have trouble sleeping; so uneasy that I cannot speak.

Did you read the previous paragraph and wonder if my faith was failing? Some might have even questioned my faith, or at least the state of my mental health, to even admit I questioned God’s love, especially coming from someone in ministry over 30 years.

The truth is, I merely paraphrased some of the verses that Asaph wrote earlier in this Psalm. Let me share them here: “You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I can’t speak...Will the Lord reject us forever? Will he be favorable no more? Has his loving kindness vanished forever? Does his promise fail for generations? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion?” (Psalm 77:4, 7-9)

I am grateful that God allowed these words to be recorded. I can easily scold myself for exactly the same sort of thoughts. I shouldn’t doubt God’s love. Feelings of rejection must mean I am not spiritually healthy. Questioning His grace indicates obvious immaturity. If I had been staying close to God, I would never feel this way.

But, because God has allowed them within the Scriptures, I am reassured that I am simply experience a human reaction to the God who sometimes is difficult to comprehend. Asaph does not stay within his mental restrictions; instead he redirects his mind toward the works of the Lord.

He says he will mediate on God’s works. This is not giving a passing thought that “Oh yes, God does good things.” To meditate means to give solid, focused thought to one thing. He is training his mind, not allowing it to freewheel down every hill and around every curve, no matter how dangerous the territory. Instead, he redirects himself to think about what God has done.

Let your mind take you to the time you were saved. Remember how Jesus changed your life, cleansing you from your old ways, renewing you by His grace and making you a brand new person in Him. Consider every prayer He has answered. Focus on the blessings that remind you of His love.

This sort of meditation requires a certain amount of mental action. We need to take time to refresh ourselves, turning off outside stimulation (music, television, telephones, etc.), and allowing our mind to wander the hills of God’s goodness. Instead of going over the same old inner frustrations, allow the Holy Spirit to take you on a mental journey, a creative thought process that magnifies God in your mind and reduces the problems that plague you.

In fact, the second phrase translated I will “consider your doings”, implies even speaking out loud to ourselves. The Hebrew word for “consider” usually means musing deeply over a subject, but sometimes includes the idea of speech. One way to focus an unruly mind is to speak out loud what you know you need to hear. Read Scripture out loud, recite the words to a hymn or praise song. Even repeat a phrase to yourself as you go to sleep or during other mental down time.

One of the simplest ways is using the ancient “Jesus Prayer”. This sort prayer has been used by followers of Jesus from the fifth century. It is simply: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Echoing the publican’s prayer in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, it has good Biblical and theological roots.

Let it become the “background noise” of your mind, so that, when you are in neutral, your soul is praying this beautiful petition: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” That is just one of the many ways to train yourself to mediate on God’s works and consider His doings.