Tim Elmore in his article How successful people talk to themselves, tells the following story: “Justin Rose became the number-one golfer in the world four years ago. He broke into the golf world at 17 years old in 1998. Justin won the U.S. Open in 2013. He won a gold medal in the men’s individual golf competition at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and in a sudden-death playoff in the 2018 BMW Championship. Rose climbed to world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. Everyone recognized him as one of the best golfers in the world. There is little doubt Justin Rose has talent. But he also leads himself well, beginning with his self-talk. A fellow golfer observed this first-hand in 2014. Justin Rose was having a less-than-stellar day on the golf course, but this fellow golfer never saw him get down on himself. In fact, he noticed as Justin missed shots over and over, he always spoke positively—out loud—about his shot and his position on the course: ‘Wow. I was so close. Hmm. I’m getting better. I’m on a roll. That was not a bad putt. I’m gonna get this soon. I am moving toward my goal. I’ve got this.’ He was positive, not negative, about his mistakes.”
“The words you speak become the house you live in.” – Attributed to Hafiz
In Psalms 42 and 43, David talks to himself. These words were likely written when he was in exile after being banished by the betrayal of his son Absalom. He is far from home and close to despair. He says to himself: Psalm 42:5 (NIV) Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Psalm 42:11 (NLT) Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!
Psalm 43:5 (TLB) O my soul, why be so gloomy and discouraged? Trust in God! I shall again praise him for his wondrous help; he will make me smile again, for he is my God!
David is asking himself the reason for the discouragement and trouble he feels within his soul. He tells himself to put his hope in God with the result that his soul will give praise to God because He can always be counted on to help.
Paul David Tripp makes this point in his daily gospel devotional, New Morning Mercies, when he writes, “No one is more influential in your life than you are, because no one talks to you more than you do. We never stop talking to ourselves…. The things you say to you about you, God, and life are profoundly important because they form and shape the way you then respond to the things that God has put on your plate.”
Proverbs 4:23 (TLB) Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life.
I conclude with Philippians 4:8-9 (MSG) Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.