What’s wrong with my soul?

Have you ever been depressed or anxious? It’s miserable, isn’t it? My dad would often quote a Bible verse to me: “‘For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?’” (Mark 8:36, NKJV) Although he didn’t attend church consistently, he had this truth branded in his brain. 

I wasn’t really sure what that verse meant until I started a relationship with Jesus Christ. When I first started my journey with Jesus, I didn’t know that I had a soul. I knew I had a body. I was an elite athlete. I trained every day, but no one told me I had a soul until the Holy Spirit turned on my soul lights. How’s your soul? My mentor, Dr. Richard Dobbins, once described the soul as a combination of thoughts and feelings. That makes sense, doesn’t it? 

King David struggled with his soul: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalms 42:5, NIV) Can you imagine writing a poem or a song admitting to everyone that you were soul clueless? I must admit that I, too, was clueless about my soul for many years. I was depressed, angry, bitter, and in denial. Like many, I treated myself with drugs, alcohol abuse, relationships, and success. Nothing seemed to make me happy. I was never content. Paul the Apostle learned the secret of a content soul: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” (Philippians 4:11, NIV)

Have you been taking care of your soul? Are you at peace, content, and full of joy? Could the secret of soul health and deep contentment be an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, who is also called the Counselor and Comforter? Your soul is important. You are important to God and to us. So I’m praying you will jump on a new growth track by connecting with the Holy Spirit.

You are a miracle.