Well, bless your soul!

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live long, live well”

Our Bible verse for today: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy – dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Well, bless your soul!”

Sometimes in the Christian world we speak about taking actions that nourish our soul. Our concern is for “soul-care”, and we often express concern about the condition of someone’s soul. In the south we also “bless your soul” (often said with a note of sarcasm). But what does it mean to nourish and bless a soul? And what does a well-cared for and blessed soul look like? For that matter, what is a soul?

This morning, I want to continue our thinking from yesterday regarding the Apostle Paul’s prayer that your whole spirit, soul, and body is well (1 Thessalonians 5:23). In yesterday’s devotional I wrote that as humans we are composite beings consisting of body, mind/emotions, and spirit. But in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Paul wrote about the body, spirit, and soul. What is the soul and how does it factor into this discussion of us being a whole person who needs to remain healthy physically, spiritually, and mentally/emotionally?

The concept of “soul” can be confusing. It is often used interchangeably with “spirit”, as if they were the same thing. They’re not. As Paul illustrates in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, spirit and soul are different and distinct (which is why he mentioned each separately), which must mean they have different functions.

Unfortunately, the Bible does not provide us with a clear explanation as to what exactly the difference between the two is. Dr. Dallas Willard was a professor of religious philosophy and a great Bible scholar. In my opinion, he was one of the great Christian thinkers of the last generation. In his own studies about the soul he concluded first, that the Bible does not provide us with a clear definition of the soul and its distinction from the spirit, and second, that the soul appears to serve as an interface between the body and the spirit processing information, guiding our thinking, and essentially directing things – similar to a computer.

When we nourish our soul, we are doing what Paul instructed in Philippians 4:8, we are taking care of it by feeding it lots of good, positive, and uplifting stimulation and inputs. When we do that, our soul is blessed and healthy. The soul then uses those influences to direct our mind and emotions, guide our thinking and actions, and move us into a spiritually healthy condition.

However, the Bible also leads us to believe that the soul is immortal and eternal. In other words, it does not cease to exist at the death of the physical body but must, evidently, become one with the spirit. That would explain why, in an eternal sense, the Bible seems to sometimes use the terms soul and spirit interchangeably.

The point for us to take from this for our purposes of living a long and healthy life is that the health of the soul matters. The condition of your soul has a direct impact on your mental and emotional health, which in turn impacts your physical and spiritual health. So, go ahead and bless your soul today. Expose it to lots of good stuff that will make it nice and healthy.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Share this:

Related

Leave a comment Cancel reply