“My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?”
– Psalm 6:3
“The tragedy of man is not that we die, but that which dies in us while we still live.”
– Albert Schweitzer
We all need our souls strengthened regularly and that requires intentional steps. Jack Hayford, noted Spirit-filled pastor and leader, said, “God has not called us to build big churches, but rather big people.” Along those same lines, if that which is within us (i.e., in our souls) is not connected to that which is above us than we will succumb to that which is around us. In other words, to thrive in life – our souls need to grow. But, that begins with cultivating souls that are open.
Open & Closed Souls
There are two kinds of people in the world – open souls and closed. I have seen them both. Come to think of it, at one time or another – I have experienced them both. . . sometimes within the same day. Neither soul-types are difficult to spot.
Closed souls are those which are almost impossible to engage. Such lives don’t fully live, they simply survive. They have given up on their hopes and settled for a life of managing
disappointments. They may seem confident. Their kind of courage, however, may cause them to climb high mountains or take on big challenges, but it refuses to face the greatest “Goliath” of all . . . themselves. . .the inner person … their deepest fears and highest hopes … their souls.
Closed souls have been sold a bill of goods. They have settled for something less than life. Closed souls may talk, but they don’t commune. They eat, but never feast. They laugh, but never rejoice. To them life is a line drawing and all the colors are just out of reach.
Closed souls curse the darkness and, yet, expect that it will never leave. They are angry and don’t know why. Embarrassed by their own weaknesses, they strive to deny them. Encumbered by their fears, they privately pray no one will notice. Enslaved by their untamed and unwanted habits, they secretly vow to reform…again and again.
A person with a closed soul wants far more than they may be willing to give. While others confess, they chose to conceal. Guarded. Reluctant. Safe. To a closed soul, every day seems the same. Nothing is ever new.
Open souls, on the other hand, live life from the inside out. Open souls are those who have not allowed their hurts to choke out their hearts. They have found an inner torch fueled by an outward focus. Their eyes are wide and their souls have become stout. Such souls breathe more spirit than they do air.
Open souls have enough hope to believe in a place far better than today and grace enough to wait for it. They not only see opportunities, they seize them. They do more than hear, they are learning to listen. And they do far more than look, they are beginning to truly see.
The Life of the Soul
What I am referring to when I speak of a person’s soul is the inward life or self of an individual. It is marked by our vital drives and desires. It is the seat of emotion and will, the “I” of the individual. The soul refers to the inner self, the fountain of a our passions, and emotions. Our souls can be corrupted by the influence of the world and sin, or they can be powerfully shaped and tapped by the influence of God’s Spirit, the Presence of Jesus in our lives and the Word of God.
The soul is the part of us that is awakened and enlivened through a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. When we take on a Christ-centered lifestyle and commitment, we discover that our soul breaks open into a fountain of purpose, power and godly passion that has the potential of filling our entire life and richly blessing those around us. One of the central messages of the Bible is that God wants every person, through His Son’s example, to rediscover what it means to live life more fully free and from the soul. He wants us to experience his strong and steady presence within amidst a world of tumultuous change.
Thermostats & Thermometers
There is an emotional thermostat deep within a person that is real. This thermostat is the soul of a life. At any given time, it can register PEACE or ANXIETY, LOVE or ANGER, JOY or FRUSTRATION, and FAITH or FEAR, among a host of other emotions and drives.
In many instances for followers of Christ, it all comes down to what we allow ourselves to “live out of.” There are a host of motivating influences and forces which can fuel a person’s life. They spring forth from the soul. Jesus clearly placed the responsibility on each of us to monitor the outflow of our lives, to guard our hearts and, in essence, to seek to live his life from the soul.
Too often, however, we allow our souls to function more like thermometers than thermostats. There is a marked difference. A thermometer increases and decreases in
temperature as frequently as the surrounding conditions change. A thermometer fluctuates with the climate. It is immoderate. It tends to go to extremes. At times, it freezes and, on other occasions, it boils.
A thermostat, however, is quite different. Thermostats regulate temperature, they’re not governed by it. Regardless of the surrounding conditions, a well-oiled thermostat maintains a consistent “cool” when things heat up and a certain “warmth” when things ice up. So, the soul of a person who walks in God’s Spirit. At its best, our soul can sustain us through the worst crises. At its worst, our souls can turn winds of dilemma into whirlwinds. In God’s hands, a soul is a virtual wellspring of heaven. In our hands, it can become a harbinger of hell itself.
Consider with me for a moment some of the impulses by which our lives can be motivated or fueled. This list is best read slowly and reflectively. Consider it carefully:
When I live out of my anger, I alienate the people in my life.
When I live out of my ambition, I neglect the people in my life.
When I live out of my hurt, I hurt the people in my life.
When I live out of my fear, I overlook the people in my life.
When I live out of my failure, I fail the people in my life.
When I live out of my discouragement, I reject the people in my life.
When I live out of my greed, I undervalue the people in my life.
When I live out of my prejudices, I offend the people in his life.
On the other hand:
When I live out of my soul, I bless the people in my life – in so many ways.
Opening Your Life – Growing Your Soul
Once Christ comes into our lives, he wants to grow our souls. God desires us to open our souls wider to him in worship, wider to one another in community and wide open to the people in need around us with compassion. Paul challenged the Corinthians Christians to have open souls:
“The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!”
– 2 Cor. 6:12-13, MSG
