Read:
Ephesians 3:16-19
“But
he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that
the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – 2 Corinthians 12: 9
Some people are self-centered, myopic, petty,
puffed up, thoughtless, wanting more and more and not willing to give to
others. Thankfully, they are few and far between. Most of us, however, are hard
working, caring, loving and thoughtful. We consider others before
we think about our self. If you are like this second group of people, I want to
talk to you right now.
Sometimes we fight battles, which God never
intended for us to fight, in an attempt to control our circumstances, to get ahead
or to impress someone else. In reality, God wants to use our weaknesses, not
our strengths, because…His
strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12: 9). We try so hard
to be “grown up” and responsible, to make our significant others proud of us,
to earn that promotion or reward, or to get that second job to make ends meet.
By trying to be strong,
however, we often deny attention to the person who we really are inside. We ignore our
needs and opt to care for others instead. By not relying on the Lord or being
led by His Spirit, we have no energy left to care for our self. We overlook our
needs in order to excel according to other people’s standards. This part of our
self, which we deny, has many popular names in today’s psychological world: the
authentic self, the true self, the inner soul and the inner child. I like to
call this part of the soul, the “Inner Child”.
David, the psalmist and king, agrees with
me. He said in Psalm 131: 2 “Instead,
I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer
cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.”
If you ignore your soul, your energy level will go
down incrementally, until you are running on pure adrenalin. Hope deferred does
make our heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). You may even resort to pills, caffiene
or energy drinks to pump up your quantum state. There is a side effect to ignoring your soul, however. I guarantee that
it will use everything available to get your attention.
Our inner child speaks to us
through dreams, addictions, illnesses, etc. This is a very real issue. It is
very important to pay attention to this matter in order to heal from the
emotional wounds we receive almost every day of our life. Most people ignore
their own needs, because they do not realize that they are a person too, and
that they have needs that should be met.
The two most important
commandments, according to Jesus, could actually be broken into three mandates:
Luke 10: 27…
1.)“‘You must love the Lord
your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your
mind.’ …
2.) “And, ‘Love your
neighbor …
3.) “as yourself.’”
We can minister to our self in the same way that we minister to the Lord and to
everyone else in our life. When I feel my hope weakening, I ask my true inner
self - my soul: my mind, will and emotions – “What do you need?” or “What can I
do for you today?”
This accomplishes two things.
First, I feel like somebody actually cares about me, so that I am no longer
stuck inside my body with no hope of getting my needs met. Then, once I meet the my needs, I have more emotional and physical energy to minister to the Lord and to my
neighbor. It is absolutely ridiculous to wait around for other people to meet your needs. This is a very unrealistic expectation, and almost impossible for anyone to live up to.
Jesus
recognized the need to have personal, quiet time. He often drew aside from the
crowd to recuperate. After Jesus' baptism, the Holy Spirit actually sent Him
into the wilderness to spend time alone in order to get Him ready for three
years of intense ministry. Jesus also spent time in the mountains and on the
seas throughout these years, resting in order to meet the needs awaiting Him later that day or the
next.
We feed our spirit with Biblical
nourishment. We feed our body at least three times a day. Now it’s time to
start feeding our soul. I’m not refering to the flesh here, or to the carnal
nature of man. I am referring to our human faculties
of thought, action, and emotion. Without it, we weaken or possibly even shut
off a very vital part of our existence, which God created for us to use.
Go fishing, read a book, draw a
picture, take a nap, watch a Christian movie, sew a dress, take or teach a
class, write a book, make a new friend, enjoy nature, etc. Do something at some time during every day, which
makes you feel alive - not only in your body and spirit, but also in your soul.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to follow Your example
to draw aside for times of refreshment for my soul. Help me to obey Your Spirit
and to allow myself times of nourishment in my soul, as well as in my body and
spirit. Use me as a blessing and bring people into my life to bless me as well.
Thought for the Day:
When I admire the wonders of
nature, the melody of music, the intricacies of art or the giggle of a child,
my soul glows with worship for our Creator.
