Battling for a Healthy Soul in 2019 (Part 2)

In the first article on “Battling for a Healthy Soul” I talked about how “New Year Resolutions” are often hard to keep and thus we often fail to even try to make them.  Admitting our weaknesses is often the first step in real meaningful change, yet that very confession is often so hard to make. I discussed Psalms 103, a favorite psalms of mine when starting the New Year because it motivates me to start challenging my “Soul“.  This way I remember the goodness of God rather than the failure I might have had the previous year. If you haven’t read part one of this topic please do so before continuing.

The Soul is not talked about much these days and doesn’t seem to have the attention of many writers.  However, I believe that is a terrible mistake. Most of the great Christian writers of the past wrote extensively about the soul and for good reason. In fact, great secular philosophers, like Plato and Socrates, wrote a lot about the human soul, though in my opinion they didn’t understand it from a truly biblical perspective. Much of psychology started out by studying the soul, though now they call it by different names like “Ego”. The study of the human soul from a biblical perspective should equip us to handle life’s choices better and thus know how to have a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God and our fellow man.

Referring back to Psalms 103 in particular, we find King David actually speaking directly to his soul as if it were his to command. He infers that truth that we can control and direct our souls attention and that, in doing so, we strengthen not only our soul, but our ability to trust God for the future. Let’s briefly refer to the first five verses and then dissect the reason and purpose for such a focus.

Psalms 103:1-5                                                                                                                                           

[1] Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.                                 [2] Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;                                                            [3] Who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases;                                                          [4] Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;[5] Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

David first and foremost “Commands” his soul to bless God. Few Christians realize they should bless God regularly for the blessing received. It is not only a biblical induction of all believers it is also a trait the Father and Jesus both extend to us, as in  John 3:16. It defines the fact that because God so loves us he gives. Extending a “Blessing” is to give forth some measure of a gift to another. If I bless a person I give them some item, whether a word or thing, to make their life better by my very act of generosity. If I bless God I in turn give God some measure of my substance to enrich his life.  It’s amazing that we can “Bless” God by our words, our actions towards others, our tithes and offering etc. When I “Own” something I have it at my disposal to give or withhold giving it. It is under my authority to bless or withhold my blessing.

Secondly, David said his soul should do this act of blessing with his whole being. In other words, not half-hearted or in some casual way. Many Christians have sung this psalm, but few have sung with their whole being. That would appear to others as “Emotional” and thus they hold back lest someone think they are emotionally unstable.

Thirdly, David  said his blessing should be with the “Purpose and Reason” for all God’s benefits given. In other words, David is saying to his soul, “You will Remember” all God’s gifts to us so you have the proper reason and attitude when blessing God. How shallow of most of us who just mouth the words without first remembering God’s generosity to us in specific terms. Shouldn’t we remember our blessings….. like being born in a free country and having the ability to love God openly? These are just a few benefits we often overlook when attempting to bless God. Blessing God should always be for specifics, not generalities.

David lists the major categories of his personal benefits from God. Forgiveness, Healing, Redemption, Loving kindness, Fulfilled prayers. These are fundamental areas that we tend to overlook when praying or worshiping. They should be the bedrock of our communication and dialogue with God each and every day.

When our soul is healthy we keep these benefits always before us and thus develop our soul in a healthy way. We exercise our “MIND” by reading the scriptures so we learn to please God with our thoughts. We, in a sense, either bless God by presenting our minds or don’t bless him by withholding our minds.

Romans 12:1-2                                                                                                                              

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.                                      [2] And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

When our soul is acting in a healthy way not only our minds are aligned with scripture, but as well our “WILL” is also engaged to be a blessing. The first and foremost way we bless God with our will is by submitting to his authority. By doing so God in turn blesses us with strength to resist the devil who is trying to defeat us.

James 4:6-7                                                                                                                                          

“GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”                     Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

Finally, if our “Mind” and our “WILL” and our “EMOTIONS” are healthy we will have a balanced life that is able to handle both the good and the bad. In my mind, many Christians d0 not have a healthy emotional part of their soul.  They are either too emotional and not guided by the scriptures or they are too logical and somewhat crippled emotionally. As an example, take walking in the Spirit and using spiritual gifts.  Many believers only give lip service to a healthy emotional life in the spirit. Too many believers are afraid of trusting the Holy Spirit lest they speak in tongues and embraces themselves.

Galatians 5:16-17                                                                                                                                     

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.                              For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 

I will be writing more on the soul and how it operates in the coming months so we can better see the benefits and blessings of being healthy in our souls for 2019. My desire is for all of us to grow in our love for God and learn to cooperate more fully with the Holy Spirit so that we truly bless the Lord in the way He so richly deserves.

Questions:

1) Have you focused too much on your mistakes and not enough on God’s benefits in 2018?     Go through Psalms 103:1-5 and start your New Year out well with God’s perspective.

2) Did you realize you can “Bless” God and cause Him to be happy with your soul like David?  Determine to start each day remembering just a few benefits of God and then bless him for it.

May 2019 become the year God is blessed in a greater ways than 2018.

Pastor Dale