"Precious"

Series: Talking to Yourself

Pay Attention to Your Thoughts

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Reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, I fell in love with a strange little creature named Gollum. He was funny and relatable, but also seemed a bit crazy as he obsessed over a ring (his “precious”). “We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious,” Gollum said. Who was he talking to? Well, himself!

Talking to yourself can seem silly, if not insane. But in a way, we’re always in dialogue with ourselves (though we don’t usually do it out loud). Sometimes we call it “thinking to ourselves.” As we’ll see, that’s how Jesus describes the internal dialogue of a guy in one of his parables (Luke 12:17). But whatever we call it, maybe it’s time we paid attention to our thoughts.

The Big Idea

What we tell ourselves can impact us in ways we don’t even realize. Our thoughts might lead us closer to God or they might destroy us, tearing down our joy and our confidence. And here’s the tragic truth: most of us don’t even notice what’s happening.

The Bible is full of helpful examples to shape our thoughts — like the inner dialogue of a rich fool (Luke 12:16-21), a poor son who hit rock bottom (Luke 15:17-19), and a psalmist drowning in despair (Psalm 42:11; 43:5). But like Paul discovered during his own inner conflict (Rom 7:13-25), we can trust God to lead us through even the darkest times.

During this short, three-session guided study, we’ll face the facts and learn to tell ourselves the truth. We’ll find hope as we orient our hearts toward God. And we’ll let God’s Word interrupt our thinking, learning to hear his guidance. Let’s challenge ourselves to take a purposeful and serious look at our inner life. May God help you to “keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23).

The Big Question

How often do you notice what you’re thinking to yourself?