What Is Good for the Soul?
“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Ps. 42:2 NIV)
“Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.” (Ps. 35:9 NIV)
Do a quick Google search of “good for the soul,” and you find the outdoors, confession, laughter, sunny days, delicious (and nutritious?) food, and music for starters. Not a terrible list, but my next question becomes why are these things considered good for the soul? The short answer: the things on that list connect us to something bigger and deeper than what is inside our own heads.
I think it was the end-of-school-year busyness and burnout that brought this question to the forefront of my mind. I need rest. I desire peace, both in my own head and in my house. Where can I find it?
Summer break? Well, summer break is a starting place because it comes with more free time and relaxed days, fewer rules, and work to be done. Now the question becomes, what will I find inside the free time and relaxed days? With just a little seeking, I believe I will find Jesus and the peace that he brings with him everywhere. Jesus is what my soul needs overall. He was there in the beginning, and he is here now. The presence of the Holy Spirit inside me helps me identify where Jesus wants me to go and what he wants me to do. The Holy Spirit aids me in being alert to all the ways that list of things connects me to the Lover of my soul.
Rejoicing in the Lord and delighting in his salvation removes my focus from me and shines it on the only One who truly deserves recognition. My worries can melt away, even if only for those few minutes of worship when my focus is on God rather than myself and my to-do list. My soul is released from any weight I was carrying on my own because I trust the Lord with it. I know I need to do the next right thing, and if I let him, he will show me what that is.
The next right thing might actually be to lay my to-do list aside and focus on what’s in front of me. Do I have time to enjoy a zoo day with my kids and marvel at the work of the Lord’s hands? Will I take a few minutes and read something or listen to a song that will bring me into a moment where I feel the love God has for me and believe that it is real? Will I look into the eyes of my husband and kids, see the image of our Father in them, and appreciate with gratitude all the beauty they bring to my life?
This past school year, I found myself having to figure out how to fit in all the things, including time with God. It wasn’t pretty. Part of that was my own doing, as I added too much to our schedule. By the end of it, I felt so ready to be finished, to have time to breathe and not feel pressured to get things done. My soul was ready to slow down and notice God’s nearness and his love, to notice how Jesus walks with me through every minute, including the busy ones.
Jesus is the solid foundation I stand on. He is my hope and my salvation. When I look toward him and his law of love, my priorities become easier to line up. Jesus is tops because my soul really does feel peaceful, joyful, and rested after I spend time with him, focusing on how he loves me and how I can do life like him, which is through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’s gift to all of us.
Accessing the gift of the Holy Spirit requires only a few words of prayer. We might not think we see him right at first. Hindsight is 20/20, they say. I see evidence of the Holy Spirit all over my life, and I am not finished changing yet, so it can only get better from here. Eventually, the practice of allowing the guidance of the Holy Spirit pays off. I keep going back to him for it, over and over again. Each time, I find the rest I am looking for. We human beings go off the rails all the time. It is returning to God’s ways, which are based in love, which refreshes the soul.
Lord, let us feel the presence of Jesus in our daily lives. Let us remember that what our souls need is him. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to change and grow us in integrity, love, humility, and courage to follow Jesus and to love ourselves and others the way he does. Help us to recognize times when our souls are full and healthy because of the love of Christ and to seek after the people and circumstances you put in our lives that help us be Christlike people. Amen.
Scripture for Reflection
“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” (Ps. 62:5 NIV)
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.” (Ps. 19:7 NIV)
“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.” (Matt. 11:29 NIV)
Reach for More
Take a minute right now and ask the Lord to let the power of the Holy Spirit work in your heart. Notice three things God has done for you over the last day or two. They don’t have to be big things. God is in the details. He delights in showing us that he knows the number of hairs on our heads.
You may not be like me and have a summer break with your kids, so you might have to ask the Lord to show you how, when, and where you can find the time or a way to let your soul rest in and with him. Work is not the most important thing. A clean and perfectly decorated house is not the most important thing. Having all our ducks in a row is not the most important thing. Jesus told us to love God first and our brothers and sisters next. Following these two most important commands is what brings that soul rest that we long for. Remember this as you seek what the Lord has for you and how rest fits into that plan.
enjoys a crazy, beautiful life with her military husband, four sons, and a daughter. A baby interrupts her homeschool days in the best ways, and she is always attempting to live with mindfulness of each moment. She hopes to look at the world and each person in it in light of our amazing Creator, and therefore, to see each moment presented as an opportunity to love and serve him more. Carla relishes time to ponder God’s Word and have quiet moments with him and her coffee. She loves doing life with other mamas and encouraging them to simply be who God has made them to be.
Photograph © Jessica Delp, used with permission
