WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR SOUL?
If you have spent any time on social media, you have probably noticed the recent emphasis on self-care. But as Christians, we should be putting more focus on our spiritual welfare by investing in “soul-care.”
Have you ever had the joyful experience of sitting on the side of the road in your formerly functioning car which is now a giant paperweight? It might be because of a flat tire, a dead battery, or a lack of fuel (aka – you ran out of gas). Whatever the reason, it’s not usually on anyone’s Top Ten list of things to do on a Friday night.
Or a Saturday night.
That is EXACTLY where I was a few weeks ago on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. But I wasn’t just on the side of the road, my car was NEXT LEVEL on the side of the road – ON FIRE! My transmission had given out and when it did, sparks flew and the fire began. Fortunately, there were some helpful people who stopped to give me a hand and the local fire department was there in minutes.
A few minutes before the pyrotechnics, my car had been parked and looked completely normal. But something wasn’t right under the hood.
Fixing What’s “Under the Hood”
In the same way, there have been times in my life when everything looked fine on the outside and the people around me, even my own family, would have assumed that I was doing great. But under the hood, in the core of my being, in my soul, I was struggling. I felt empty. Hollow. I was going through the motions but felt like I didn’t really have anything left to give. I was running on empty.
Maybe you’ve been there? Most of us have. Maybe you sucked it up, put on a good face, and just kept going. Or maybe you checked out, whether that meant sitting on the couch binging on junk food and Hulu or emptying a couple of bottles of wine. That might have helped for a night or a week, but the feeling tends to come back around. Those things might dull the pain or distract you from struggle, but they don’t fill the emptiness.
Where does that feeling come from? Is it all in your head, or does it go deeper than that? During the 20th century, each generation that came along experienced 3 times the level of depression than the generation that preceded it. Now in 2020, people who struggle with stress, anxiety, and mental health issues are at all-time highs – despite being medicated like never before. So, what’s going on? Have people changed that much physically and mentally – or is it something else?
I believe the problem is more than just mental. (Full disclosure: I have several friends who work in the mental health field and extended family members who have diagnosed mental health issues). I believe it’s a brokenness in our souls. But because the secular culture struggles with the concept of humans having a soul, we tend to file it all under “mental health.” But there are many people who have clear minds, good health, and everything going for them, but still feel the struggle of emptiness.
Having It All But Losing Our Souls
When it comes to our souls, Jesus asked a great question of His followers in Matthew 16:26, when He asks, “What benefit is it to you to gain the whole world, but lose your own soul? What can someone give in exchange for their soul?”
When we read that, we tend to assume that Jesus is talking in heaven/hell, eternal terms, that Jesus is telling us that we can live it up in this world but lose our souls for eternity. And that’s true. But what if Jesus isn’t just talking about eternity. What if He is talking about right here right now. What if He’s asking, “What if you get everything you ever thought you wanted, but lose yourself in the process?” What if you have it all, but lose your soul to get it?
We see examples of this all the time in our culture. The Hollywood actress who has ten million followers on social media, but blows through relationship after marriage after relationship. The superstar athlete who signs a record-breaking contract for millions of dollars only to end up in rehab. The music star who has fame, fortune, and a bunch of platinum albums – then takes his life. People who got everything they ever wanted, or at least everything we think someone should want, but lost themselves in the process.
It might be hard for you to relate to having millions of dollars or thousands of fans, but you don’t really have to look that far. There are probably plenty of examples all around you. The “perfect couple” that splits up out of the blue. Your coworker that makes it to the top of the ladder in your company, only to realize that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall. Or the super popular person at your high school who started cutting herself alone in her room to deal with the loneliness she feels every night. What good does it do for you to get everything this world offers, but lose your soul in the process?
What Is The “Soul”?
What is your soul anyway? My simple definition is that your soul is that part of you that is meant to connect to God and other people. It’s the part of you that makes you different than any other living creature. In Genesis 2, in the Old Testament of the Bible, we read that when God created humanity, He “breathed the breath of life” in Adam as He created Adam, “in His [God’s] image.” That word for breath is also often interpreted as, “soul.” In short, there’s a part of you, at the core of your being, that is designed to connect with God and be filled by Him. When your soul is empty or broken, you have lost it.
In January 2020, I am going to be teaching a series called, “Under the Hood,” which is all about our soul. We’ll be talking about having a drained soul, an overwhelmed soul, a compromised soul, and a maintained, healthy soul. I’d love for you to join us at Journey at 10 AM for our Sunday morning services for some soul care, as we look under the hood of our lives.