Genesis 1:26 states, "And God said, Let us make
man in our image, after our likeness."
God is a triune being...Father, Son and Spirit. He
created us triune beings in His image. That triune image manifests itself in
mankind in the spirit, soul and body. "And
the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and
soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ." - 1 Thessalonians 5:23
For the Christian, the life of Christ flows through
us. It affects us physically because He brings us healing; it affects us
spiritually, because if we ask Him to, He dwells within us and guarantees us
eternal life (Romans 8:11); and it also affects our soul. People live a
lifetime trying to find fulfillment in their soul ~ the mind, will and
emotions. They cater to the flesh, buying every gadget known to man to make
them happy, trying to amass wealth in the process. Yet, they are never happy
and always want something more or different.
I know some people who are never happy in one place
for very long, so they move often. Others want every new fad in clothes and
accessories, phones, stereo equipment, cars, etc. Some people constantly change
jobs, trying to find one they enjoy more than the previous one. Some even
change mates whenever the current one is no longer exciting, solicitous or physically
perfect. They seek pleasure rather than Godliness.
We often pray for the body to get well, and for God
to fill our spirit; but do we ever pray for the soul? With the Spirit of God
residing within us, He will fill our soul with all the fruit of His
Spirit...love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness,
self-control and faith (Galatians 5:22). He will heal us from every negative
emotion from the past, which we have hidden in our soul (Philippians 4:8). Our
mind is renewed with the mind of Christ (Romans 12:2); our will is submitted to
the will of God (Philippians 2:13); and our emotions are controlled by the
spirit of God dwelling within us (James 1:19).
Therefore, when we are angry, we can sit quietly and
ask God to fill our soul with gentleness, love and peace from our spirit. When
we are anxious, we can ask God to fill us with patience, peace, and faith. When
we feel self-sufficient, we can request that God fill our soul with meekness,
goodness, and self-control. When we feel sad or depressed or hopeless, we can
request an infilling of joy that will strengthen us (Nehemiah 8:10) and give us
peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
More important than the soul, however, is the spirit.
The spirit is dead within us at birth, until we ask Jesus Christ to be our
Savior. We cannot truly live integrated, connective lives until we are born
again. Then the Holy Spirit breathes the breath of life into our spirit.
Genesis 2: 7 states, "And the LORD God formed man (body) of the dust of
the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit); and man
became a living soul." At death, the body ends up in the grave. However,
the soul and spirit go on to our eternal destination (Luke 16:19-31). Where
will you spend eternity?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help us to remember that the main point
in life is that in order for You to fill our soul, we first need to be filled
by Your Spirit. Our spirit must be born again by asking You to be our Savior
and our Lord (2 Peter 3:18).
Thought for the Day:
The Spirit will lead you into all truth (John 16:13).
He comforts us with His everlasting love (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
