Learning to Preach to Myself Rather Than Listen to Myself

I am learning, more painfully than I ever would have chosen, what it means to be a melancholic artist. I have come to realize what I have known all my life, which is that I struggle constantly with "being sad." Some call it melancholy, some call it depression; I’m not interested in technical definitions as this stage. Furthermore, whether my scenario is the result of nature or nurture is of little benefit today. How shall I live today in light of this reality? How can I fight against these feelings, which, if left to their own, lead me to fear and thus draw me away from God and His work? Please don't mistake me here! I am not waxing poetic, rather I am admitting my weakness and wanting to grow up in Christ in the midst of my unhelpful, depressive tendencies. Can I get a witness?

The text below has been a starting place for me. John Piper gives an outline entitled, "How Then Shall We Fight for Joy?" and the following is one of the points therein.


8. Learn to Preach to Yourself Rather Than Listen to Yourself
“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.” (Psalm 42:5)

Have you ever realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them but they are talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Your self is talking to you. Now this man's treatment (in Psalm 42) was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself, "Why are thou cast down, O my soul?" he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says: "Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you." (Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

Taken from John Piper's Desiring God (Sisters, Oregan: Multnomah, 1986, 1996, 2003), 358.