Articles
Talking to Yourself
In Luke chapter 12, the Lord uses the parable of the rich farmer to teach us many lessons. By all the world’s standards, the wise steward is a very successful man, but God calls him a fool. Did you happen to notice this is a man who talks to himself? We get a little suspicious when we hear a man talking to himself; and, if he starts answering, well, just send him right on to the funny farm. That is a sign of a real problem!
But is this guy a fool because he talks to himself? One man said there are two reasons why I talk to myself: I like to talk to a smart man, and I like to hear a smart man talk. The fact that the rich farmer talks to himself is not his problem. Instead, he is a fool because of his answers and conclusions. His decisions betray him as a fool. He places his values on this life.
Furthermore, the rich farmer was selfish. All his emphasis is on self: "my barn, my fruit." He gives no recognition to God at all. He looked at all this as his own, but God said, "Thou fool . . . then whose shall those things be?"
But with all that this man does wrong, there is one thing he does that is commendable; he talked to himself. He said to himself, "This is what I will do....". That was the right decision about the wrong thing. It destroyed him. However, you cannot fault him for setting out to do what he wanted to do and for working hard to get it done. The rich farmer is no different from most people. What was this prosperous man's secret to success? He talked to himself, and then he went to work building more barns. No one ever prepares properly for the future unless he does this. This is where it all begins.
The rich farmer wasn't foolish for talking to himself. The man who is wise about eternity must talk to himself also. How often have we seen lives of people in total ruin because they never thought things through, never had a plan? They just drift along through life. They are just like this man because they are no better equipped for the future than he was. We can work ourselves frantically for things, or we can just wander through life with no responsibility. It all amounts to the same thing. Until we sit down with self and have a really sincere talk we'll never realize what we need to do regarding eternal life. Until we have this talk with self, ABOUT RIGHT THINGS, it won't make one bit of difference how well we have planned for this life. We will face God destitute of any preparation for the soul.
So, take a good long look at yourself. Where are you headed? Don't be like the rich farmer who focused on his earthly things. Instead, sit down and have a good talk with self about the future, then go to work. There are only two choices: a future with God or a future without God.
“One advantage of talking to yourself is that you know at least somebody's listening” (Franklin P. Jones.)
Rickie
