Ah those dangerous conversations that we have with ourselves. During the day the whispers and the things we hear tend to be agressively dangerous (to others) and then late at night they become depressingly suicidal (to ourselves). How the emotions do swing from tree (ideas) to trees. And we wonder what’s real, what’s not, and what’s all this inner conversation(s) saying?
What people say about us to a large degree determines who we become. How sad!
I say sad because there are far more people who speak against us (and for them) than speak positive and encouraging words that build us up (rightly). Even when we are encouraged, how many times have you had those inner conversations that question why they’re being so nice. What’s their motivation and intent? The ego is always on guard against competing forces even when there are none.
Two of the synoptic writers gave us some good counsel. Best we take it.
The earliest gospel writer (Mark) gave the wise counsel (Mark 4:24) that we need to be cautious as to WHAT we hear. Different people are offended by differing statements. As we go through life we need to develop a road map as to what we can better handle than not. What situations should we steer clear and NOT HEAR?
Have you learned WHAT to HEAR?
Not everything is edifying and in fact some things that we HEAR can plant seeds for our destruction that will take a lot longer than we imagine to dig out of the soil of our soul. WHAT indeed are you saying to yourself- in that inner subtle conversation?
Then there’s Luke who had another angle of what we HEAR, be in from outside or from our inner silent conversations. Luke said that we needed to be careful as to HOW we hear (Luke 8:18). Are we hearing like the Bereans (seeking truth and not dismissing everything just because it’s not how we comprehend something)? Are we hearing with a pure intent or are we hearing in a way that’s not profitable to all invovled.
WHAT we hear and HOW we hear can either edify our lives or be a grave danger to us. And remember, it’s not the hearing from WITHOUT, but also from WITHIN as well- even more importantly is the latter.
“What people say about us to a large degree determines who we become. How sad!”
Someone said that as long as we care what people say about us, we cannot advance and become who we really are. So true.