Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Read: Psalm 139:13-14

Many people today criticize Christians who attend counseling sessions or who take medication for their mind. They make comments like, “Paul didn’t tell us to understand our self; he told us to die to our self.” There is a great deal of truth in that statement when it relates to our carnal flesh. However, the mind is an organ in the body. Would Paul and Jesus deny medical attention to someone simply because the Bible says to anoint with oil, and pray the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous?

Of course, we pray first and ask God to help us to understand what it going on in our soul – our mind, will and emotions. He may also use His Word, a Pastor or a Christian friend to give us clarity on our issues. However, it often takes someone who is trained in understanding the mind to shed light on our concerns. Often it is as simple as forgiving the pains of our past. Sometimes, it is more complicated, because we disassociated from some painful memory, and God wants to gently reveal it to us.

God uses every means available to help us to walk in love, power and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). God created three heavens: the sky over our earth, the galaxies of the universe and His throne room. If he created the heavens with this detail, it is obvious that the human body, soul and spirit are just as structured by His hand (1 Thessalonians 5:23). He cares about every part of us. According to Genesis 2:7, “The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground (body), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit); and man became a living soul (soul). (KJV)

The Psalmist recognized the Inner Child of the soul: Psalm 131:2 “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (NKJV) Our dreams are one or the ways that our soul communicates with us; they are our safety valve. The soul dreams out its unrest to get our attention. Our negative emotions are another indication that something is wrong in our soul, and they provide a road map back to the source of our issue.

Our soul tries to communicate with us in many ways. Some are rather subtle; others are very alarming! When the soul’s needs are ignored, they eventually affect us physically and spiritually as well. Mind-related unrest causes our muscular, nervous, respiratory and vascular systems to break down. We get physical symptoms, some of which may have no physical cause or explanation. These are called psychosomatic illnesses.

During the day, it is important to take our soul’s temperature. What are you thinking, feeling and wanting to do, and why? Are you stressed, working too hard, missing some quality time with friends and family, or ignoring the healthy desires of your soul? It is not selfish to minister to your self, unless your whole focus is on yourself, or if you care for yourself to the detriment of others. Do something fun every day and your soul will thank you for it. Reading God’s Word, fellowshipping with other Christians and attending Bible study is as important to your soul as to your spirit.

Prayer:
Father God, please convict Your Children who judging one another falsely. Remind us not to strive to establish our natural identity or to seek to establish purpose and meaning in our natural life, because our life is now hidden with Christ in You. You know our heart better than we do, so we ask You to show us the issues in our soul that are hindering our spiritual walk. Help us to take up our cross daily by acknowledging that You are our only source for a meaningful life.

Thought for the Day:

God sits on His throne in heaven, but He also dwells in the hearts of His children.
 

(To read more about what the Bible says about the soul, check out these verses: Genesis 42:21; Psalm 6:2-3, 23:1-3, 42: 5-6, 107: 5-6.)

(To read more about how a sick or wounded soul affects our whole being, check out these verses: Psalm 42:11, 62:1, 63:8, 84:1-2, 142:7; Proverbs 13:25, 21:23, Isaiah 55:3.)