Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Taking care of your soul”
Our Bible verse for today: “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” John 10:10 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “A healthy soul can be fully alive.”
“All men die but few men truly live.” I don’t remember who first said that but I believe it to be true. The great poet Henry David Thoreau once wrote that most men live lives of quiet desperation. Sadly, I’m certain that is true too. But one of the reasons Jesus came was so we can have life and have it in all its fullness. He meant eternal life, yes, but life now too. The goal of a healthy soul is to be fully alive in Christ, living a life that is robust and dynamic and overflowing with the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus came so we could have such a life.
In his book “Journey of Desire” John Eldredge writes that way too often the practice of the Christian faith is centered on accumulating information and obeying rules. We study the Bible, memorize verses, follow the rules, and end up with a faith that is often dry as dust. While those things are certainly important, the life Jesus wants us to have involves much more than just Bible facts and rule-following. Jesus wants us to be truly alive, and that requires a faith that lives in the heart, not just in the head.
That’s why soul-care is so much more than just an intellectual exercise. As we’ve already learned, taking proper care of the soul involves engaging the heart. It calls for quiet meditation – just sitting quietly with God; it involves time spent with other Christians in what yesterday’s devotional called “The gift of loitering”; and it requires us to be actively engaged in acts of ministry which we are passionate about. When the practice of our faith routinely involves giving out rather than always taking in, that’s when our heart will be aflame and full. Serving others in the Name of Jesus with acts of mercy and compassion and by means of ministry activities which strike a cord deep within us, is one of the best ways for the soul to truly come alive.
“All men die but few men truly live.” That’s sadly true of many Christians. The Christian life should be an exciting and wonderful adventure filled with love and laughter and challenging ministry. But way too many of us have turned it into a dull routine of empty gestures and meaningless rituals.
I encourage you to live large. Live with reckless abandon for the cause of Christ. Find a group of people who are eagerly and joyfully doing meaningful things to serve and bless others, and then join them in it.
When Jesus has full possession of your soul and when you are truly living for Him, you will be experiencing the full and abundant life He intends for you to have.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 