Breaking the Loop

David stood in the ashes of everything he had built. The city of Ziklag had been burned to the ground. His wives and children had been taken. The very men who once called him leader now spoke of stoning him. They wept until they had no strength left to weep—and then they turned on him. If anyone had a reason to spiral into despair, it was David. But in that moment, when the ground beneath him gave way and no one stood by him, the Bible says something remarkable: “But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” 1 Samuel 30:6 He didn’t wait for someone to cheer him up. He didn’t scroll for a motivational quote. David talked to himself—and what he said changed everything (1 Samuel 30:1–6).

You may never find yourself in the exact ruins of Ziklag, but you’ve likely faced moments where life collapsed suddenly—when fear, failure, or loss swept in like fire. And in those moments, one of the most powerful things you can do is pay attention to what you say to yourself. Because we all talk to ourselves. The real question is—what are we saying? We say things to ourselves all the time without thinking: “I’m such an idiot.” “Nothing ever works out for me.” “People can’t be trusted.” “I’m stuck here.” And slowly, those phrases begin to shape how we see the world—and ourselves.

Proverbs says, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” Proverbs 4:23

It’s not just psychological—it’s deeply spiritual. The thoughts you allow to echo in your mind become the script that directs your life. Left unchecked, they harden into strongholds—default settings that dim your joy and distort your vision. Sometimes the loop is subtle. You start the day already defeated: “There’s too much to do.” You end it in shame: “I didn’t do enough.” You see others succeed and think, “It’ll never happen for me.” You fail once and conclude, “This is who I am.” That voice doesn’t come from God. And it can be challenged.

Paul says in Romans, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6. That means you are not a prisoner of your thoughts. You can redirect the flow. You can choose to meditate on truth instead of fear. You can stop rehearsing defeat and start declaring life.

When David encouraged himself, what did he say? The scripture doesn’t record his exact words in that moment, but we know what filled his heart because we have his Psalms. He often said things like: “Bless the Lord, O my soul… and forget not all His benefits.” Psalm 103:2 “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” Psalm 145:8. Over and over, David repeated who God was, what He had done, and what He had promised. He talked to his own soul like a preacher at a revival. He didn’t speak how he felt—he spoke what he knew.

That’s where healing begins. Not when we pretend everything is fine, but when we interrupt the spiral. When we say, “Soul, listen to this instead.” It may feel awkward at first. But talking to yourself in truth is not weakness—it’s warfare. It’s how we fight lies that have lodged deep in our hearts. So let me ask you—what have you been saying to yourself lately? Are your thoughts lifting you toward peace, or dragging you into discouragement? Have you unknowingly rehearsed bitterness, fear, or shame until it became familiar?

You don’t have to stay there. God’s Word is not just something to study—it’s something to store. When we meditate on truth, we’re doing what the Bible calls ruminating. The Hebrew word for meditate literally means to murmur or repeat to oneself. It’s the picture of a cow chewing the same bite of grass again and again, pulling out every last bit of nourishment. That’s how David lived—and that’s how your mind can be renewed.

So maybe today, you start with one truth. Just one. Something simple and sure. Maybe it’s, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Or “Nothing can separate me from the love of God.” Or “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Say it to your soul. Write it where you’ll see it. Whisper it in traffic. Preach it over yourself when no one else does.

Let that new loop begin. Let your mind be governed by the Spirit, not by fear. Let truth become your instinct, your anchor, and your answer. God has not left you at the mercy of your emotions. He’s given you His Word. He’s given you His Spirit. And He’s given you the power to talk to yourself—until your soul starts to believe again.

Prayer
Lord, teach me to speak truth to myself. Help me to recognise every thought that doesn’t come from you—and replace it with your word. Like David, help me to encourage myself in you. Let my mind be governed by life and peace, not fear or flesh. Shape my thoughts until they align with your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Kay Alli