How's Your Soul?

How are you? How’s your day? How’s your week? These are common superficial courtesy questions people ask each other on a regular basis. The question that John Wesley (founder of Methodism) would ask people was not so superficial. He would ask them pointedly, “How’s your soul?” Now this is a completely different question and one that requires us to stop and ponder.

What is the condition of your soul? Is it tired? Is it worn down? Is it downcast? Is it filled with peace? Or turmoil? Is your soul anxious? Content? Overwhelmed? Or at rest?

The decisions we make in our life actually affect the condition of our soul. The reason we can go so long without acknowledging our soul is because the soul seems so quiet and non-existent. However, this is far from the truth. Our soul lives forever, while our bodies have a short life. Yet, we often choose to hold the body up higher than the soul. And we suffer in both as a result.

When we make the decision to obey God’s commands, we choose to walk in His ways. What benefits does this choice bring us? If we stand at the crossroads (a place of decision), look to God and ask Him for His eternal paths (the good ways He designed for us to live) we will find rest for our souls!  (Jeremiah 6:16).

A rested soul is a stable soul. A stable soul is a successful soul. And a successful soul is a healthy soul. We often look for success in our bodies first, but what we don’t realize is when we find success in our souls first, we actually feed the body with victory. We must remember that the condition of our body is not nearly as important as the condition of our soul.  

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I AM gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus did not say we would find rest for our bodies; He said we would find rest for our souls. Jesus is more interested in our eternal state than He is about our physical. He knows that all physical components of this life will pass away. He knows that what will sustain us forever is a healthy soul. Whether our bodies are at peace or at war; in comfort or pain; health or sickness; death or life, a healthy soul will strengthen the inner man making the outer man endure whatever condition it finds itself. I often wonder how martyrs were able to endure such painful executions. I believe it’s because they had healthy souls.

To walk with God means to walk in His ways. To walk in His ways is to follow His word; obeying it to the letter helps us to know God intimately as a good friend knows another. This intimate friendship of trust will guard our soul and take it to new heights of health; we will find refreshment, shalom, life, and truth - all made complete in us. Suddenly the external chaos around us will seem insignificant because our soul is guiding our life. I ask you, “How is your soul? What do you need to do to strengthen and feed it?”

May I make a suggestion? Stop your life for a time each day; pray and linger in your relationship with the Lord; soak in the word of God until it completes your life; stand up, and choose to walk in what you have learned from your Father in heaven. You will find rest for your souls if you do!