Talk Yourself Out Of The Pit

You have got to stop listening to yourself. Of all the voices that can lead you astray, your own voice may be the deadliest. David was in the throes of depression when he SPOKE to himself—‘Why are you cast down o my soul’. He chose to STOP LISTENING to himself and STARTED TALKING to himself. David probed even deeper, ‘Soul—why are you in turmoil?’ He stopped listening to himself and did the opposite—he talked to himself. The worst advice you can get is the “self-talk” from your own downcast heart.

Let’s be candid, when you are depleted and depressed you are not thinking right. Words are the overflow of the heart, and it is not healthy or helpful listen to yourself when you are in a pit. Your heart will chastise you, condemn you, and take you further down into despair. In those times, you cannot afford to listen to yourself.

You must speak Truth to your own heart. Find a portion of Scripture that addresses your situation. You need to hear Truth—the Word is truth. Re-uttering some lie the Devil has whispered in your ear will never have a “lifting effect.” David moped around for a year or so under a heavy cloud of guilt. He never would have found restoration by feeding on the trash-talk coming out of his heart. Follow David’s example after your failure. Have the courage to verbally confront yourself. Instead of talking to another human, give yourself a truth-talk.

If you have messed up—“fess up.” Tell God the “real things”. You don’t need to confess the same thing numerous times. Admit it to God ONCE, and then thank Him for forgiveness. It is not God’s will for you to spend endless days moping and mourning. When you fall down, don’t stay down. God’s grace is far greater than your guilt. Tell yourself to “GET UP!”

The New Testament says, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:19). Here Paul instructs us, like David, to talk to ourselves. You have to learn to “encourage yourself in the Lord.” And you encourage yourself when you speak truth, and speak life, to yourself. Sing spiritual songs out loud. It took time to get down in the pit, so it may take some time to get out.

Do this immediately, stop listening to yourself and start talking to yourself. Here’s the rest of David’s speech to his troubled heart, “Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance” (Ps. 42:5). He went from the Pit to Praise—AND YOU CAN TOO!

Harold Vaughan
June 2017

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