Back Off Soul!
/“May God the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23 HCSB)
Forty-five women were in our session that night as we explored the concept of SOUL BUSYNESS.
Here’s my definition;
Soul-busyness - the overcrowded and overworked barrage of thoughts that are often non-productive, a waste of time, and not pleasing to our Lord. This inner cacophony can manifest itself physically through twitches, scowls, and exasperated sighs.
In order to grasp what happens in our souls, we explored how God designed us.
We discovered that He magnificently created each woman there with a spirit, soul, and body. In order to understand the function of each part of our “make-up” we dug a little deeper into our human design by our Creator-God.
Body
The body is the physical part of who you are. It contains your skin, nervous system with nerves and the brain, along with other tangible matter. Through your body you connect to the physical world with your five senses.
Soul
The soul is the personality part of who you are. Comprised of mind and emotions, it is where you think, feel, and will. Within your soul you have your beliefs, values, and attitudes – along with your ability to reason and make choices. Your soul is the part giving definition to who you are and how you behave.
Spirit
The human spirit contains the key to experiencing the victorious Christian life. Prior to your redemption your spirit was dead to Christ. When you recognized Him as Savior and invited Him to become Lord of your life, His Spirit moved into yours. Your human spirit then became alive to Christ and His righteousness. You may hear your spirit described as your inner being or the deepest part of who you are.
So you see, God lives within you and His essence fills your being.
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
(1Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV)
Your Soul – functioning at its best, is both peaceful and fulfilled. For the Believer, God offers great restoration power for YOUR SOUL at any moment when agitation causes panic, worry, guilt, overwhelming thoughts – ANYTHING that distracts you from His Presence living within you. Soul busy-ness can be identified as thoughts and emotions that keep you ruffled or agitated – even positive experiences that put your nerves on edge.
So, how do you keep your soul from dragging you around and holding you hostage to disorder and stress-overload?
First, you must remember that you are not at the mercy of your soul and the craziness that sometimes lives there. You are a child of The King and He has equipped you with His power and His Spirit to take control of your flesh. You must simply determine to grab hold of the peace that Jesus offers you as His beloved child.. You must WILL it within your soul where you make choices. You make that determination BY FAITH even when your feelings don’t line up with the determination of your will.
IT IS A PROCESS, BUT YOU CAN TRAIN YOUR SOUL TO RESPOND TO YOUR WILL TO ALLOW JESUS TO KEEP YOU AT PEACE.
Consider the following soul-training applications:
When your soul feels overloaded and distracted, practice your self-talk.
Back off soul. You are not the boss of me. Jesus lives in me
and He is my perfect resting place. He is my peace.
Speak scripture aloud, and personalize it for your situation. Lord, I am being still in You instead of being agitated over _______________. I trust and know that You are my God. My stability about _____________ is in You.
Enjoy – yes enjoy, ongoing dialogue with the Lord. I have found that continually talking with Him throughout my day as I’m moving through it, brings me a gentle and supernatural awareness of His presence. Somehow, acknowledging Him during all my moments - mundane or eventful, ushers in soul peace for me.
* Dwell on the truth that PEACE lives inside of you. Thank God for His immeasurable gift as you gradually learn to take hold of it.
Friend, here’s what I know; the more you love Jesus and keep aware of His presence, He will help you experience His peace as your soul and spirit move in harmony within the rhythms of His grace. Don’t let your FLESH drag you around. Choose to be controlled by His Spirit living inside of you - and remember to celebrate each little step of victory along the way.
Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10 NIV)
Praying over your Soul at Rest.
