The Well-Being of Your Soul

The Well-Being of Your Soul

The well-being of your soulHow are you doing? And how about the well-being of your soul? We hear the first question quite often even if they are not really wanting to know how we are. The second question is something we rarely get asked which is kind of sad. But maybe it is a question we should ask ourselves. You know, the well-being of your soul is the most important thing. Without the well-being of your soul, you are not only unhappy but also lost.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart
    and free me from my anguish.
(Psalm 25:16-17, NIV)

John Ortberg shares an inspiring and helpful story about this in his book The Me I Want to Be: “I asked a wise man, “How do you assess the well-being of your soul?” He immediately said, “I ask myself two questions”: Am I growing more easily discouraged these days? Am I growing more easily irritated these days? At the core of a flourishing soul are the love of God and the peace of God. If peace is growing in me, I am less easily discouraged. If love is growing, I am less easily irritated. It was a brilliantly helpful diagnostic to assess the health of my soul. How would you answer those two questions?”

Two questions to assess the well-being of your soul

These two questions provide a fast and effective assessment of the state of your soul. Are you growing more discouraged or irritated these days? Your answers tell the state of your soul. If you’re growing more discouraged and irritated, you’re growing away from God. And, friends, that is the way for the ill-being of your soul. If you are filled with the love of God and the peace of God, you are joyful and peaceful no matter what. Because God’s peace is the inner calm and spiritual well-being we are all after.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
(Isaiah 41:10, NIV)

Only the abundance of grace can give you the well-being of your soul

There’s no other way for lasting well-being than God’s grace. We need Jesus to save us and sustain us. The less content we are, the less filled with the Holy Spirit we are. (Or vice versa.) It is well with our soul when God’s love and peace are growing in us. It’s that simple. Yet we live like the well-being of our soul would be solely on our shoulders. And then we wonder why we are not happier.

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.
(Psalm 28:7, NIV)

Hence, run to God every day. He is your strength and your shield. Get your fill of God’s grace and you are set. God wants to help you. He wants to be the source of your well-being. Just ask and you will receive. Grace upon grace. Hallelujah!

 

Gracious God,
Forgive us for trying to manage our lives on our own.
Help us to see you are the nourishment and sustenance we need.
We truly need you.
Pour out grace upon grace on us, Lord.
We want your love and peace to grow in us.
Help us to flourish for you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How is the well-being of your soul?

Be blessed my fellow pilgrim as you run to God to get your fill of his grace!

Photo by SHTTEFAN on Unsplash, design by Mari-Anna Stålnacke. I am linking up with Unite the Bloggersphere and #tellhisstory.

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