The Dangers of talking to Yourself

By Kurt Bomar

Avery County

With our confinement from the virus, I imagine many of us are reduced to talking to ourselves.

Did you know it can be dangerous to talk to yourself? I am not talking about other people seeing you carrying on your private conversations and thinking you’re losing it. This reminds me of a comedian’s suggestion that all the vagrant mumblers in NYC should be paired up and place on park benches, just to make the rest of us feel comfortable thinking they are having intelligent conversations.

Rather I am talking about the dangers of when we seek our own advice instead of getting our advice from the Lord.

King David made just such a mistake and it cost him. As a young man, he was afraid of King Saul who wanted to kill him out of jealousy. 1 Sam. 27:1 tells us “and David said in his heart (talking to himself), I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul”.

As a result of that conversation with himself David, he got mixed up and came to the wrong conclusions. He fell into depression and ended up living in enemy territory for almost a year and a half.

I have done the same thing.  When someone slights me, I can get quietly offended and then I start talking to myself. I can build an airtight case against that person in my mind. It goes something like this:  Now Kurt, what do you think about that? I think what they said or did was unfair and unkind. I do too! What should I do?

I think I should give them a piece of my mind the next time I see them. In the meantime, I’m going to let everybody know what I think about them.  I agree that’s what I’ll do.

Jeremiah was right, “the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.” (Jer. 17:9)

What happens next? I spend an extended time in a spiritual wilderness like David did, completely outside of the will of God. I also miss the opportunity of learning what God wanted me to learn from that person.

So, what should we do? Follow the advice of Paul in Philippians. 4 “Be anxious for nothing. But in everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known (not to yourself, but rather) to God.  And the peace of God will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

When you get upset, do not fall into the trap of talking to yourself. Take it to your Father who loves you and understands. He will work you through it.

Selah (think about it)

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Kurt Bomar is pastor of Walnut Grove Church located in Avery County. You are welcome to join them on Sundays at 11:00 AM for worship! (When we are allowed to meet in the building again)

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