Our transformation into the
likeness of Christ lasts a lifetime. Like the proverbial spiritual onion, God's
Spirit deals with one layer at a time. He heals us, going deeper and deeper
into the inner core of our soul.
He showers us with His mercy and
grace, giving us the mind of Christ, and teaching us to rely only on Him for
our love, peace, joy, encouragement, and guidance (John 4:10).
When we go astray, and find our
self lonely and isolated or wandering purposelessly, He draws us close to
Himself and shepherds us as His sheep, caring for all of our needs as the Good
Shepherd (Matthew 9:38, 11:28).
God encourages us to ask for what
we need, and to continue asking until He provides for our needs. He rarely
answers as we expect Him to, but He always provides more and better than we
ever thought possible (Matthew 7:7).
At times, we tend to discount our
soul and we hide from God. We take cover behind a false facade to feel safe and
to impress other people.
That is why taking a searching
inventory of our whole being is a discipline worth cultivating. What negative
emotions are fueling our thoughts and behavior; how is our body reacting to our
circumstances; how are our unresolved inner conflicts affecting us and our
relationships?
When we get to know our soul and
what we really need, think and feel, we can better understand why we say and
act in certain ways. Journaling is a great tool to help us get to the root of
our issues.
God has a perfect plan for our
whole life in body, spirit and soul - our thoughts, emotions and choices. He
offers us an intimate, personal relationship with Him that starts at Salvation
and lasts throughout eternity.
The challenge in receiving God's
care is for us to develop a deeper personal relationship with Him, at the same
time that we get in touch with our own soul - our real, inner core and identity.
Prayer:
Father God, help us to become
more aware of how we are really feeling and how those emotions, some coming
from our subconscious mind, cause us to speak and act in ways that we do not
understand. This crazy behavior may cause rifts in our current relationships. Remind
us that we can use Your Words of Life from Your Holy Bible, especially the
Psalms, to express our deepest needs and feelings.
Praying Your
scriptures helps us to better connect to You and to our authentic self. The
Psalmists, and even Jesus Himself, felt every emotion that we feel during our trials
in life. Your Word is life to us, Living Water that quenches our thirsty soul. Like
a deer, we pant after Your Truth and thrive on its refreshment and wisdom.
Thought for the Day:
God is always with us, either in
companionable silence or active communication; but we have to live in the
awareness of His still, small voice as we face who we really are inside. With
God's wisdom, His Spirit's direction, and the redemption offered only by Christ's
sacrifice on Calvary's cross we live a fulfilled Christian life.
