1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you have a mirror in your home, you have discovered that you have a body.  You look at your body, wash, groom, cloth, perfume, manicure and give medical care to your bodies.  If you were asked, “How is your body?” you might not answer honestly but we would all have some sort of answer depending on how hard we are on ourselves.  However, many if not most of us don’t give a moment of thought to the question, “How is your soul?”  To begin with, many don’t even know what the soul is much less giving thought to how to care for the soul.  Can I tell you something very important?   You have a soul and it is not only essential but invaluable to life and it needs constant attention and care.

“Soul” is defined as the hidden or “spiritual” side of the person. It includes an individual’s thoughts and feelings, attitudes, along with the will, with its intents and choices. The soul is the center of decision making and effects an individual’s life in many and diverse ways.  It has been said, “What you think determines how you feel and how you feel determines the activity and quality of life.”  Therefore, the soul is vitally important to your well-being and the well-being of those living around you.

Jesus said in John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. It is in the soul where the real battle between good and evil takes place.

The secret to a strong, healthy life lies in how we work with God in “caring” for our body, soul and spirit. This and articles to follow are meant to encourage you to be more aware and vigilant in the care for your soul.

I want to quickly encourage each and every one of you to read your Bible.  With the wonders of technology, reading your Bibles has been made so amazingly simple.  Roi Lene and I are enjoying the free mobile app that can be downloaded on any smart phone.  The app is entitled BIOY which stand for Bible In One Year produced out by Nicky Gumbel.  There are short commentaries that Gumbel and his wife make which are very helpful.  By taking less than 30 minutes each day, you can read your Bible in one year.  The reading is from the NIV and so we enjoy following along in our own Bibles as it is read to us by this amazing guy who has a voice like God Himself.

We do our reading in the morning.  You could do your reading as you are going to bed or listen to the Bible over your lunch break.  Reading your Bible is one of the simplest and yet most meaningful and powerful ways of caring for your soul.  Psalm 107:20 says, He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.

You might argue, “But it is the end of February and I will be so far behind.”  My response is, “So what?”  Jump on board.  If you miss a day, don’t waste any time beating yourself up.  Just like you brush your teeth in the morning, groom your soul.  In fact, you could do both at the same time.