“Arrange your days so that you experience total contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God.” Dallas Willard
The human soul is imperishable and eternal, created by God. I am 61 years old, and it has taken me this long to finally realize the importance of caring for my soul! Had I known the magnitude of influence my soul has had on me, I would have started this journey a long time ago. Our souls are made up of our minds, wills, and emotions. We are all souls confined in a physical body. Our soul is the dwelling place of our thoughts, desires, and feelings. A few years back, I realized that having peace in my life was a huge need for me. I learned through my trials that peace was key in maintaining balance and surviving life’s obligations and obstacles. Protecting my peace became my anthem. As this pursuit of peace unfolded, I discovered that my pursuit of peace and caring for my soul are deeply interconnected. Soul care is essential if you yearn for the thirst-quenching peace that comes from the only true source. Jesus!
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. Psalm 4:8
The mind is complex and powerful. It is composed of our thoughts and memories. Controlling and weak! Our thoughts are influenced by our education or lack of, our experiences, and our influencers. We can rationalize any scenario, allowing the outcome to set us back, not even realizing it until it is too late. The way we see things can determine whether we will stay on the path or detour off and interfere with progress.
Our will is a combination of attitude, determination, character, and what we are passionate about. The discipline and self-control required to use discretion are learned and command wisdom. God gives us free will. Yes! But He also desires a relationship with us that fosters cooperation. Our cooperation with Him is the goal. The result of this mutual relationship bears fruit for our future and our family’s future.
Then there are our emotions. We have so many emotions. “I don’t want to talk about my feelings.” I know! We are taught how to feel and share our feelings. Many times, we aren’t allowed to share how we truly feel about something because we are in a situation that dominates the expression of those feelings. For example, abuse or disconnection can keep us from communicating effectively. Not knowing what we are feeling is another obstacle. Then there is the fear of not being heard, and we overshare. I heard someone say once that emotions/feelings are like teenagers. Sometimes we would like to put them in the trunk because they are out of control, but of course, we can’t. However, we don’t like it when they drive either. Reckless! When we let our emotions control our behavior, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Please don’t hear me say that we shouldn’t share or express ourselves. Let’s take a look and consider how we are allowing our emotions to decide the outcomes.
Soul care looks at each aspect of our mind, will, and emotions to cultivate a plan that will nurture and protect peace, allowing you to experience that total contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God that Dallas Willard has described.
I’d like to share some of my thoughts and experiences with you through this blog. How is your soul? My hopes are that you will begin to see the importance of soul care and learn what it takes to rest in the One who created us for that very reason.
Blessings and hugs,
Stacie