God fashioned humans as a
triune being: body, soul and spirit. He created our body from the dust of the
ground, breathed into our spirit His breath of life and formed us into a living
soul (Genesis 2:7). When our soul - our thoughts, choices and emotions - is
neglected, it attempts to draw our attention to our legitimate needs, which
require fulfillment.
If we neglect our needs, our
Inner Child, which the Psalmist alluded to (Psalm 131:2), will make sure our body and
spirit are also effected by this mental and emotional deprivation (Psalm 107:5-6). Mind-related
illnesses cause our muscular, nervous, respiratory and vascular systems to
break down. They are called psychosomatic illnesses. These have no physical
cause or explanation.
Our dreams and negative
emotions are two more avenues, which the soul uses to attempt to bring our
needs to our conscious awareness. Our overall health depends on us heeding
these messages. At times, as the psalmist realized, our soul is like a child
and must be weaned (Psalm 131:2). If the Inner Child controls our thoughts, words and
deeds, we never grow up.
Alternately, many of us work
all day long to provide for the needs of other people and neglect our own
needs. God created us to care for our own needs as well (Mark 12:31). This is not selfish unless our
whole focus is on our self, or if we care for our self to the detriment of
others. God's Spirit will lead us into a healthy balance of nurturing our self
and others.
Prayer:
Father God, remind us that we
can give our soul a wholesome treat every day! Walking in nature, a
healthy snack, chatting with close friends, hobbies, reading Your Word, writing
a letter or email, relaxing in the sun and nurturing a garden are just a few
healthy choices. Help us to discover what makes our thoughts and emotions
happy. We want to make Godly choices, which meet our needs and to help us to
nurture others as well.
Thought for the Day:
If we neglect our soul, we are only 2/3 of a person! If we do not nurture our
soul, one whole third of our self is crippled.
