Talking to Ourselves
“Come on!” pant, pant.
I was painting the deck when I heard a man’s deep shouting.
“COME ON! GO!”
I quickly glanced toward the road to see what kind of drill sergeant was barking out these commands. Was he an athletic trainer? An impatient dad? Someone with an unwieldly dog? Turns out it was an old man on a bike. He was puffing up the hill while yelling out orders to himself to keep going. He was his own cheering squad.
To be fair, the sun was beating down. Sweat rolled down my back, and I wasn’t even pedaling. He let out one final grunt and made it to the top where he could coast a little.
My lips turned up in a smile as I went back to my painting – reminded of the importance of speaking truth to ourselves. Just this past week, I was busy scolding myself in the midst of a different project. Why did you try? You knew it wouldn’t work? You know it won’t work, so why are you wasting time? You should just quit – now.
In the midst of this self-flagellation, an intrusive thought broke through. “I’m fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”
I’m not the person for this job.
“How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”
It’s stupid to keep trying.
“If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand.”
It was God who reminded me again that I can’t always know the outcome, but I can be faithful and speak truth rather than lies to myself. It’s the benefit to memorizing and hiding His Word in my heart and mind.
When no one’s looking or in earshot, we can still cheer ourselves on to complete our tasks and new adventures, make it up the hill, keep going…allowing His Words to give us the honest perspective we need to hear.
You’ve got this!
Vicky
Psalm 139:17,18