Rejoice, Soul!

I posted here and here on the idea of talking to yourself, like the Psalmist did in Psalm 42 and in Psalm 103. Well, I think I just completely failed the test these past few days! On Tuesday, I started feeling somewhat sad and 'low' (it happens to me here and there and is generally unexpected and not really related to anything) but instead of telling my soul to rejoice and to be glad, I just sort of agreed with my soul and listened to my feelings of sadness. May God help me! I want to tell my spirit to tell my soul the good news. I want my spirit to be boss over my soul!

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Psalm 42:11

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5

My spirit will now attempt to give my soul a good talking to. : ) Soul, rejoice! Put your hope in God and remember all the good things that He is and has done. He is good and His love endures forever. He is merciful and gracious and abounding in steadfast love. He is good. Hope in Him.

Talk to Yourself

Check out this liveblog synopsis of a message called The Troubled Soul: God’s Word and Our Feelings by CJ Mahaney. Here's a brief synopsis of the synopsis. : )

"C.J. highlighted that Psalm 42 is an opportunity to listen in on the internal conversation of the psalmist and to evaluate the content of the ongoing conversation we have with ourselves. This is critical to do, for, “You are more influenced by your internal conversation than anything else” and, “There is a direct relationship between this unending internal conversation and the state of your soul every day.”"

I actually do this when my soul is 'troubled' and it really helps! It really helps for me to talk to myself and remind myself of the promises and comfort of God. A lot of times, though, I let my 'troubled' soul take over. I have to make it a discipline to tell my 'troubled' soul to "hope in God" like the psalmist did.

FYI: There is a link on the liveblog to listen to the entire message.

Submit Your Thinking

"Submit your thinking to your spiritual authority." ~Manny Onos

A wise man in my church mentioned this in a Sunday School lesson once. I believe this is so important. Most sinful or erroneous actions, begin with sinful or erroneous thinking. Submitting your thinking to your spiritual authorities (parents, spouse's, pastors) can really help to stop sinful thinking before it becomes sinful action.

In my case whenever I think something, I always run it past my spiritual authorities to make sure I am having the right of the understanding of the situation. It provides me with a safety against making foolish or rash decisions.

It's not about you

Jesus set the standard as total self-denial. In Luke 14:26, a great multitude was following Him and He turned and spoke to them: “If anyone comes to Me” – meaning those who wanted to be His true followers—“and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Self-hate? What a powerful truth! . . . Following Jesus is not about you and me. Being a Christian is not about us; it’s not about our self-esteem. It’s about our being sick of our sin and our desperation for forgiveness. (Hard To Believe, John MacArthur)

(HT: Critical Issues Commentary)

Twenty-Two Questions

These are the twenty-two questions members of John Wesley's/George Whitefield Holy Club asked themselves every day in their private devotions. What excellent questions to ask ourselves every day. I don't really think I could answer in the correct way to very many, but they don't feel condemnatory; rather, they seem purifying, cleansing, and challenging. They almost seem like a protection against spiritual pride and also at the same time, spiritual apathy. May God keep me humbly in balance and on guard against both.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression than I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what I was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give it time to speak to me every day?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrusting?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?

Martin Luther on Long Sermons & Other Things

On Long Sermons...

Some plague the people with too long sermons; for the faculty of listening is a tender thing, and soon becomes weary and satiated. ~Luther

And Other Things...

Total Depravity: I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, Self. ~Luther

Worry: Pray, and let God worry. ~Luther

Marriage: There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage. ~Luther

Misplaced Affections: Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God. ~Luther

The Law: The law discovers the disease. The gospel gives the remedy. ~Luther