Sitting in my car at the curb, waiting for my wife to finish shopping, I passed the time by watching the people walking by. I noticed one man in particular because he was deeply engrossed in talking to himself. What he said I don't know, but it surely was a serious discussion. He reminded me of a man who, when asked why he always talked to himself, replied, "I have two reasons: First, I like to hear a smart man talk. And second, I like to talk to a smart man!"

When people talk to themselves, what do they talk about? It can be either good or bad, for our words reveal what is in our heart. The rich man in Luke 12:16-21 talked boastfully to himself about his riches, and God called him a fool. The prodigal in Luke 15 talked to himself about his poverty, and he returned to his father.

When you talk to yourself, you are simply thinking out loud, revealing what is in your heart. It could be said that we are what we think. If our thoughts are evil, we will be evil. If our thoughts are pure, our life will be pure.

Using Philippians 4:8 as our guide, let's resolve to purify our thoughts. Let's talk to ourselves about things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and worthy of praise.  — M.R. De Haan