The Well Fed Soul

Introduction

What happens to you if you a few days without eating regularly, without good hydration, and enough rest? Cravings tend to be bad and we become susceptible to illness. One of the major outcomes is how it effects attitude. In my case, I become short-tempered, impatient, sometimes depressed. Your physical and mental health depends upon prioritizing a balanced diet, rest, and management of cravings.

We have been digging into the importance of the proper care and feeding of your soul. Here’s the challenge this morning: take the time and effort to seriously evaluate how well you are caring for your soul.

If you don’t feed yourself good food…who will? If you don’t make the effort to get enough sleep, it’s on you. Nobody can sleep or eat for you. It’s your decision whether or not to pursue over-the-top cravings that are not healthy.

If your soul is a stream that feeds the rest of your life - relationships, mental health, spiritual health, family health, etc. and you allow the stream to get poisoned and polluted with trash and debris, the responsibility is yours. Your soul is the stream…you are the keeper of that stream.

When your soul is healthy, you have hope because you know who holds the future, here and now, and in eternity.

Just because you cannot see your soul or put it in a box and sell it on e-bay doesn’t meant it’s not real and important?

Everyone knows there is more to life than what we can see or hear.

God made humans in His image (Gen 1:26-27)…His own breath animates us as living souls, housed for now in physical bodies.

Genesis 2:7 The Message

God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!

This separates us from every other created thing

Our soul is the conduit that connects us to God

Sin and neglect separate our souls from God…we need to care for our souls and keep our connection with God as it should be

Keep your soul well-fed and close to God's heart by seeking balance, hope, and rest

Interrogatory: What does it mean to keep your soul balanced?

YOUR SOUL MUST BE BALANCED

Just because things look nice and pretty on the outside, what is going on where it counts…in the soul?

Sinkhole video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXCAFD7dcic

To look at the outside of that house…you wouldn’t know that such a horrible thing happened on the inside.

Another way to look at it is that “Your Soul Needs a Center”

Have you ever ridden a mechanical bull? I have not, but I have watch a lot of real bull riders…

John Ortberg writes of an experience with a mechanical bull

We were with friends at an open-air street fair, and at one spot their was a mechanical bull ride. Somebody in my group said, “Why don’t you go?” So the operator took one look at my middle-aged body and asked “Are you sure?” That …ensured I would not back down.

He explained, “There are 12 levels of difficulty on this bull. It might not be …easy, but the key is you have to stay centered, and the only way to do that is to sit loose…be flexible. If you think you can control the ride, you’ll never make it. Follow the bull…keep moving…shift your center of gravity as the bull moves.”

John Ortberg rode the bull…it was really hard…but he followed the guy’s advice. He was all over the place, but finally the bull slowed and stopped. He had triumphed. He felt pretty good about himself.

I looked over at the man operating the bull, and he looked over at me. Shaking his head, he smiled and said, “That was level one.”

Level two lasted maybe a second. The bull won.

The Soul that Lacks a Center...

Has difficulty making good decisions

Have you ever pushed yourself so hard…or been pushed by someone else so hard that you finally hit a wall? If you don’t stop and re-center, you will make some very bad choices. When you are out of sync physically/emotionally, its not a great time to make important decisions

James 1:5–8 NIV

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

literally, “double-souled” — confusing, uncertain, wishy-washy and fearful.

If you are off-center — drifting from your relationship with God, you begin to lose your way and your confidence.

The Soul that Lacks a Center...

Feels uneasy and vulnerable to people and circumstances

When Jezebel’s threat frightened Elijah, he ran and hid. While he was hiding, God met him there and gave his body rest and some food, as well as fresh water. Eventually Elijah’s soul was centered once again and he listened to the still small voice of God, strengthened to go back into the fight.

The Soul that Lacks a Center...

Can become very impatient

When God’s people became weary of their wilderness sojourn, Numbers says, literally, “their souls grew short”

In Judges, when Samson’s soul had no center - he just rushed from the pursuit of power to pleasure to women and, finally, to revenge. He grew “short in soul.”

Job, on the other hand is said to be “long-souled”

Restless, unwilling to wait before the Lord, etc.

Remember the mechanical bull?

Life doesn’t stay at level one…

Life becomes complicated...

We don’t live in Mayberry in 1960

If your soul is not balanced and centered in your relationship with God…the intensity of this life will throw you off...

The Soul that Lacks a Center...

Finds it’s identity in externals

When I am not seeking God and learning of Him in my daily life, I can easily get drawn to many other things

When our center is not in the Lord, we get caught up in wanting to control everything ourselves

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. — Ortberg

Transitional: We find our center…our balance…our true north, as we seek the Lord and yield our lives — every part of us, to Him — in His presence (prayer, worship, listening, taking in His Word, etc.). Another important sign of a healthy soul is hope...

YOUR SOUL THRIVES ON HOPE

We are not just souls — we are trapped in this physical body...embodied souls at the moment

What happens to all physical bodies…all flesh? It eventually dies

Then what happens?

Isaiah said, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of the Lord will stand forever” (40:8)

Grass…flowers

They are temporary and disposable

The best football player will eventually succumb to arthritis or some other ailment

The most beautiful supermodel will not grace the cover of magazines forever.

God Places Eternity in Your Heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Some insects live very short lives — some only 1 day

The oldest living thing on earth is “Posidonia Oceanica - a clump of Mediterranean seagrass — estimated to be 100,000 years old. IT WILL DIE SOMEDAY

Insects, plants, stars, planets --- all have an expiration date

We are not like that — We have an inner drive that must face eternity

Human life does not end with the grave

We have longings and desires that can never be satisfied in this world

The most important thing you do in this life is to prepare for the life that is to come

Jesus’ Life, Death, Burial, and Resurrection Bring Hope to Your Soul

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...

He was here physically for a brief time — His body was killed

But on the third day…He arose!

He is our Hope

John 14:1–3 NIV

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The church has survived all these years…because of our hope in Christ

People have willingly suffered and died…though suffering, still rejoicing to know the hope they have in Jesus

Transitional: The soul that is centered in Christ and the hope He brings also needs rest

YOUR SOUL NEEDS REST

How does rest for our soul work?

The great hero’s of the faith didn’t have it easy

When God called Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Esther, the Disciples, Paul, etc., He did not say...

“I have a task for you to do…but don’t worry, it really won’t take that much time — it won’t cost much. I don’t want to put you out…but.

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him, ‘Come and die!’”

Doesn’t sound so restful, does it?

Take up your Cross and follow me --- that sounds like we better expect hardship

God is always intrusive, demanding, seemingly expecting the impossible from His servants.

If God demands everything from us, how can our souls ever expect to find rest?

Matthew 11:28–30 NIV

“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.”

“Easy” is a soul word…not a circumstance word; not an assignment word — John Ortberg

Our soul was not made for an easy life — it was made for an easy yoke - Ortberg

Matthew 11:28–30 The Message

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Jesus’ Life Demonstrates Living in Grace No Matter How Difficult Things Become

The more we can walk along side Jesus, with His yoke upon us…we become less likely to burn out, less likely to have sarcastic and bad attitudes, the less likely that we will be unloving, cynical or hateful.

We can only have this kind of rest because of the grace and mercy of God…freely extended to all that come to Jesus.

John 16:33 NIV

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

What can we take away from this message today?

Balance

Hope

Rest

Look to Jesus as our example of good soul care

He prayed

He had a close circle of friends — they did life together

He regularly worshipped at the synagogue

He fed His mind with Scripture

He enjoyed God’s gifts in creation - Mountains, fields, nature...

He took long walks

He welcomed and loved little children unconditionally

He enjoyed hanging out with non-religious people

We truly need to develop practices that connect us with God’s grace, strength, and joy

Giving, serving humbly, other activities that our sinful nature will resist…but do them anyway, with God’s help and with a thankful heart.

Get away to pray by yourself, listen to wonderful music and worship the Lord, spend enough time with life-giving friends

The soul craves the kind of rest that comes from knowing and trusting God…walking with Him

The strength with which we serve and love God is borrowed strength

Your significance in life is based upon who you are in Christ…as you walk with Him and reflect Him a little more each day.