I talk to myself. I do. I’m not afraid to admit it. And I know I’m not the only one. Yesterday at work, I heard a woman contemplating out loud, but to herself, whether or not she should purchase a particular home decor piece. It made me smile. Because whether or not we want to admit it, we all do it.
When do we tend to do it? Maybe when we’re in a hurry or stressed. When we have a decision to make or too much to do. When we’re stuck in traffic or frustrated with the line at the grocery store. When we receive good news or bad. Trying to figure out a recipe. When we are excited about something and there’s no one around to share it with. The list goes on and on. Basically, we talk to ourselves at any given point of any given day. It helps us think. To listen to our consciences. To weigh the pros and cons. To expel anger and release joy.
People have asked me what talking with and listening to God is like. How do I hear Him? How do I know what He’s saying? What do I talk to Him about and how do I do that?
First, relationship is essential. In the bible, Jesus told His disciples (friends) that he shared things with them because they were His friends. Spiritual truths, wisdom, lessons. There was a relationship. They came to recognize His voice, to trust His instructions, to treasure His words into their lives. Jesus shares His secrets with friends, not strangers, just as we do. In order to “hear” Jesus, we need to be connected with Him. When my closest friends call on the phone, I don’t have to look at caller ID or wait for them to say their names. I know their voices. In that way, when we have a relationship with Jesus, we begin to recognize His voice – that still, small voice in our soul. The one that shares those spiritual truths, wisdom and guidance.
Secondly, I think that communicating with Jesus is a lot like talking to ourselves in many respects. We do it (or need to) in any given situation. We grapple and ask and vent and smile with Him. We ask questions and then listen to that inner voice inside us to guide us. He uses our consciences to speak to us. He uses other people sometimes. And He uses the principles that He’s written down for us in the bible. But by being in constant communication with Him, by talking and listening, not just to ourselves but to Him, we begin to understand how He thinks. How He would respond in certain situations. How He would weigh decisions. What brings Him joy and sadness.
As we talk with him (again, as we would to ourselves) we learn to trust that “gut feeling” He gives us as a red flag or a green light. Our minds begin to think a little more like His and His desires start to become our own. Our conversations become not just words or questions, but the interactions of close friends who enjoy life together.
I still, and will always, talk to myself. It helps me process. But more often than that, I will talk to Jesus and listen for His reply. Because He has my back. He knows my future. I trust Him. I love Him. I enjoy His company and He enjoys mine. And THAT is a conversation that will never end…
John 15:15 – I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 – pray without ceasing…
Psalm 119:11 – I have hidden your word(s) in my heart that I might not sin against you.
