Be with Jesus - Soul-care!

Soul Care!

If you’ve seen the Lord of the Rings trilogy, you probably remember one of the last scenes:

Frodo has to go through Mordor to destroy the "ring to rule them all." When he gets inside the heart of the volcano, standing on the appropriately named "crack of doom," he is captured by the allure of the ring again. Just at the point where he has a chance to destroy the ring, he cannot let it go.

Suddenly Gollum jumps on him, a fight ensues, the ring flies into the air and Gollum falls into the abyss of the flames, unwilling to let go of the ring even though it means his own destruction.

The ring has possessed him. His “precious” had gained control of his soul. It demanded all of him; it became his idol He finally gained his “whole world” but lost “his soul”!(Mark 8:36-37).

The soul is YOU in ESSENCE!

I. If we take care of our souls, we take care of our lives!

When God created man in the garden we read, "The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

The Hebrew term nephesh in the Old Testament and the Greek psuche in the New Testament are sometimes translated “soul,” but they both mean “life, person.”

In Isaiah 5:14 the word nephesh is translated “appetite,” but it really means “throat” (see also Ps. 107:9, where “the thirsty” is literally “the dried-out throat” (nephesh). The throat is also the instrument of breathing (Jer. 15:9). So nephesh expresses the idea of life and desire, in this case for food and water. The other uses of “soul” appear to be derived from this more concrete one.

This is expressed clearly in Psalm 63: O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.

You're a soul made by God, made for God, and made to need God, which means you were not made to be self-sufficient or seek to satisfy your life without God – Psalm 42:1,2 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?

To neglect God is to neglect the soul! And to neglect God is foolish! “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God” Why so foolish? Because, whether you chose to neglect God or not, yor soul depends on God! This is why Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body… Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

Gordon MacDonald said that in a sense we have two worlds to manage:

an outer world of career and possessions and social networks; and an inner world that is more spiritual in nature, where values are selected and character is formed — a place where worship and confession and humility can be practiced. Because our outer worlds are visible and measurable and expandable they are easier to deal with. They demand our attention. “The result is that our private world is often cheated, neglected because it does not shout quite so loudly. It can be effectively ignored for large periods of time before it gives way to a sinkhole-like cave-in.”

The psalmist says that the person who can live in God’s presence is the one who has not lifted their soul up to an idol (Psalm 24). When my soul is not centered in God, when I define myself by my accomplishments, my riches or by my physical appearance, or my role in life or my important friends, I forget that my true identity in Jesus.

This is why Jesus warns us: “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses His soul. What can a man give in exchange for His soul?”(Matthew 16:26). Think of people who have GAINED everything that the WORLD has to offer but are LOST SOULS! People who have poured all their energy into gaining power, money, status symbols, etc but neglect their souls!

Dallas Willard said: "What is running your life at any given moment is your soul. Not external circumstances, not your thoughts, not your intentions, not even your feelings, but your soul. The soul is that aspect of your whole being that correlates, integrates, and enlivens everything going on in the various dimensions of the self. The soul is the life center of human beings."

Your soul is what integrates your will, your mind, thoughts and feelings; your values, your conscience, and your body into a single life.

When there is harmony between your will, your mind, thoughts and feelings; your values, your conscience, and your body then you are living the life God intended you to live! You are a WHOLE person! You are happy in God, connected to Him and other people in life. That's a healthy soul.

Sin always causes the disintegration of the soul.

The Apostle Paul says: "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power."(Romans 1)

Sin robs us of wholeness. Sin is the great enemy of the soul. Think about it! However happy or prosperous I may appear on the outside is undermined by selfish desires; judgmental thoughts, etc, When I am angry or resentful or bitter on the inside it works its way out in terms of agitation; complaining; resentments.

So Peter appeals, "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul."(1 Pet 2:11)

If sin is dominating my life, my soul is UNHEALTHY and I am not happy nor satisfied! Sin is damaging my soul! On the other hand if I can say: "Bless the LORD, O my soul and all that is within me, bless his holy name." Then my soul is connected and in harmony with the God who created it for himself! So my soul cries out to Him!

“The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” (3 John 1,2).

II. We need to KEEP our souls Healthy!

Are YOU watching out for your soul? Is your soul “well”? How healthy is your soul today?

It is the job of Church leaders to “watch out for your souls”(Hebrews 13:17) - “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account.” What a fascinating phrase “watch out for your souls” ! Church leaders are not simply interested in your lives – how healthy and wealthy you are. It’s your SOUL that MATTERS MOST!

Watch out for your souls!

If the soul is not centred in God then it is restless! Tired. FATIGUED!! - “One of the challenges of soul-fatigue is that it does not have the same obvious signs as physical fatigue. If you’ve run a marathon, your body lets you know it’s finished. Our souls were not made to run on empty. But the soul doesn’t come with a gauge. The indicators of soul-fatigue are more subtle - Things seem to bother you more than they should. It’s hard to make your mind up about even simple decisions. Impulses to eat or drink or spend or crave will be harder to resist than they otherwise would. You are more likely to favour short-term gains in ways that will leave you with long-term costs. Your judgment suffers. You have less courage.” (John Ortberg “soul keeping”)

Ortberg says:

“There is a kind of fatigue that attacks the body.” - This may arise from not enough sleep; not taking care of our diet; fitness levels or overwork.

“There is a kind of fatigue that attacks the mind.” – This can arise from the massive information overload through work; exposure to the news media or social media. The incessant busyness that calls forth To-Do lists; worry and anxiety! This is what Martha experienced when she was “worried about many things” and needed to be reminded that “one thing was needful”, to “sit” at the feet of Jesus!

“There is a kind of fatigue that attacks the will.” – This can come when we have so many decisions to make but find ourselves overwhelmed by indecision. This is maximised if those decisions involve others for whom we feel responsible!

So once the body, mind and will are under attack in this way, soul-fatigue sets in: “these categories of fatigue…combine to make us feel separated from God, separated from ourselves, and distanced from what we love most about life and creation. This is soul-fatigue.”

ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM SOUL-FATIGUE:

Having difficulty making a decision? - James 1:6 describes, literally a double-souled (Greek word dipsuchos) who is like a wave on the sea, driven forward one moment and backwards the next. Then in 1:8 James says, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." The double soul is a divided soul, a soul out of sync with God. An unhealthy soul! Here are some double-souled folk: “I just thought of the weight of sin, especially secret sin. Marriage that is crumbling. Nobody knows. A guy who is witheringly judgmental. He doesn't even see it. People around him see it, but nobody loves him enough to talk to him about it. A woman lives in a lovely, lovely home. She starts drinking every afternoon at 3:00. Nobody knows. A guy sold his soul a long time ago to try to climb the ladder.” (Ortberg). It is painful and destabilising and Job felt this when he said in Job 7:11 says “I will speak out of the bitterness of my soul”! And James’ answer to this problem is found in James 4:8 says: Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” This is where it starts! It’s not about where you are now that matters as much as where you can be as you draw near to God!

Feeling constantly vulnerable to people or circumstances? - When David was running from Absalom, he became completely exhausted and stopped to rest, which literally may be translated, to “re-soul” himself (1 Samuel 16:14). Perhaps you need to take some time to re-soul yourself? When things seem out of control and you lose your sense of rootnedness, you feel disconnected from God and you feel a victim of life and circumstances. Remember that though you may be out of control, God has your back! You are in His grip and “underneath and roundabout are the everlasting arms”!

In need of patience? - The Psalms are full of restless souls and therfore it is no surprise that there is a repeated call to “be at rest, O my soul” or "to find rest in God alone" or to "be still and know that I am God.” Let us pray the language of Psalm 131: "My heart is not proud, O Lord. My eyes are not haughty… I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me." Such a striking picture. How do you wean a child? Well, you do it by strategic disappointment. You deliberately withhold from the child what it wants so the child learns it can be master and not slave of its appetites. The psalmist says, "My soul is becoming like that. It's not constantly troubling me with unsatisfied desires all the time. I am learning that my soul can be satisfied with God, even if all the appetites of my body or the desires floating around in my mind are not being gratified every moment because, in fact, gratification of mind and body will actually dismantle the soul." (Ortberg)

Soul Care is SO important!

The soul craves rest - Augustine famously said: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."

Our heart is RESTLESS! The central core of me, the soul, is NEEDY and CRAVES REST! The GOOD NEWS is that Jesus offers rest to the soul! - “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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28–30).

Jesus was speaking to people who were worn out and worn down - weary and burdened and in need of “rest”! The tiredness they feel is not merely body fatigue, nor mental fatigue; nor emotional fatique, it is soul fatigue!

Jesus’ invitation to us is to, “Come.” – A TRUST WORD! Trust Jesus enough to draw near to Him in an exercise of faith! Whether your religious and exhausted, burdened down by religious laws, traditions and rituals or irreligious and warn down by sinful indulgence or overwhelmed by anxious fears, the invitation is the same – “Come to me”!

Jesus also invites us to“Take.” – A SURRENDER WORD! This is a STEP FURTHER that we take once we COME to Jesus. We trust Him enough to “COME” to Him and then we “TAKE” His “yoke”. This agricultural metaphor of the Oxen yoked together is a picture of discipleship meaning that when we submit to Christ, we are yoked to Him and the great thing about His yoke is that it is “easy” meaning, “well-fitting”. It is just the yoke that is tailor-made for your life and needs. The burden of doing His will is not a heavy one: “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 Jn 5:3–5).

Jesus further invites us to “Learn” from Him – A COMMITMENT WORD! Another STEP FURTHER! We come to Christ in an act of faith and trust and we take His “yoke” and go on to “LEARN” of Him. This is a PROCESS and a COMMITMENT to study in the school of Christ. Learning ABOUT JESUS BUT CRUCIALLY learning OF Jesus! FOLLOWING CHRIST’S EXAMPLE, which is why He emphasizes HIS qualities of gentleness and humility

So what can we learn OF Jesus as we engage in SOUL CARE!

Jesus came from the Father and knew that God was always with Him (John11) but STILL HE NEEDED TO PRAY and find rest alone with God!

Jesus engaged in certain spiritual practices or disciplines which allowed God’s grace to keep replenishing his spirit.  He prayed, he meditated on Scripture, he engaged in corporate worship, he fellowshipped with His disciples. These spiritual practices rested his soul. He did not do these things as OBLIGATIONS, He did them to REFRESH His soul in God!

So, we can LEARN OF Jesus, that like Him we need to ‘engage in practices that connect me to God’s grace and energy and joy.” (Ortberg).

So my question as we close today is: ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM SOUL-FATIGUE?

If so WHAT CAN BE DONE?

LET US GUARD OUR SOULS! - “Your soul can be all right when everything in your world is all wrong.” (ORTBERG) - “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice,though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Ptr 1:3-8)

Let us be those who RE-SOUL ourselves in God! Let us take the words of the Psalmist to our hearts: “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love . . . for to you I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 143:8). When we reach out to God, we are lifting our souls up to be nurtured and healed. Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. “The soul is more satisfied when it is less self-preoccupied. I die to myself. My soul comes alive.” (John Ortberg)

Let us determine to “BLESS THE LORD O MY SOUL AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME. BLESS HIS HOLY NAME!” - “A soul centered in God always knows it has a Heavenly Father who will hold its pain, its fear, its anxiety.” (Ortberg) - “My soul cleaves to you, your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:8)

LET US GUARD OUR SOULS BY ENTRUSTING THEM TO A SOUL FRIEND!

- Back to Lord of the Rings: Frodo does not go through Mordor alone, but accompanied by a loving friend, Samwise Gamgee. What a friend, he was to Frodo, “Sam is an excellent fellow, and would jump down a dragon’s throat to save you, if he did not trip over his own feet.” Of his commitment to Frodo it was said, “he had stuck to his master all the way; that was what he had chiefly come for, and he would still stick to him. His master would not go to Mordor alone.” Indeed, at one point, appealing to him as he feared, Frodo would die, “Don’t leave me here alone! It’s your Sam calling. Don’t go where I can’t follow! Wake up, Mr. Frodo! O wake up, Frodo, me dear, me dear. Wake up!” We all need friends who Jonathan and David were such friends! – “the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”(1 Sam 18). To whom is your soul attached? - "Jonathan loved him as his own soul." What does that look like – complete trust; a willingness to put the other person’s interests above your own; a willingness to risk your life for the other person’s good; a desire that you should know God’s best for your life! (see 1 Sam 20:4,13) That's a soul-friend! The hearts of two people, knit together by the Holy Spirit! We are each responsible for our own souls, we each walk our own path, but we do not go on the path alone. In the Christian life we are to be encouragers of one another on the journey. SOUL-FRIENDS along the way! - "One of the most beautiful gifts in the world is the gift of encouragement. When someone encourages you, that person helps you over a threshold you might otherwise never have crossed on your own." (John O'Donohue (Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections on Our Yearning to Belong) A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17). The soul friend must be faithful and have the quality of perseverance. Ian Bradley in Colonies of Heaven says “In its availability and vulnerability friendship of any really meaningful kind is a costly rather than an easy option. The absence of close friends pushes many towards the brink of depression or sends them into the arms of counsellors and doctors…” (p. 110-112). So we need a Soul Friend and when finding one, we need to choose wisely! “A righteous man is cautious in friendship"(Proverbs 12:26) - Is our friend a good listener? Can such a friend be trusted with our most intimate secrets? Will that friend be able to minister to us from the word of God and through prayer? Does that person understand our heart for Christ and share our world view? Will that friend be honest with us even if that means upsetting us? Will our friend then bind up our wounds and patiently persevere with the relationship? And what kind of soul friend should you be? - Philippians 2:1-5 : "If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deepspirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself". (The Message) "Be deep-spirited friends" - Love and care in the way Christ Himself loves and cares for us! If our churches could produce friendships of this sort they would be much happier and healthier communities of grace!

How’s Your Soul Doing?

Take that spiritual inventory in the booklets. Learn to still your soul! Find a soul-friend! Go to Jesus and you will “find rest for your souls”!

Jesus satisfies the soul!

Oh holy night! The stars are brightly shining It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! Fall on your knees Oh hear the angel voices Oh night divine Oh night when Christ was born