God has been ministering to my soul lately through a theme of intimacy. The word itself and other concepts around intimacy have come up in significant ways five times in the last few weeks. That is a signal to me that it's time to Dig for Divine! Themes are one way that God communicates with us.
Are you longing to hear from God or sense the need to adjust your spiritual antenna? Click the button that says, "SEND ME THE ARTICLE," and I’ll send you an in-depth piece I've written about five ways God shows His love for us by speaking to us in our everyday lives.
Growing in our awareness of how God speaks is precisely how we develop a more intimate relationship with Jesus. When we purpose to be near Him, He ushers us into His rest, a spacious place where He ministers to our soul. His rest is Sabbath, obedient rest. Our rest is often seen as simply ceasing from our toil and striving for a time or sometimes even falling out from exhaustion. Sabbath rest is where our souls experience His restoration in every aspect of our being. This intimate place of peace is completely void of adversity and turmoil. We are free to bring every thought and emotion and lay them before Him so He may delight in them or heal them. Not only does He minister to our mind and heart, He cares for every aspect of our being when we enter into the spacious place described in Psalm 18:19 NIV.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
He alone knows how to care for His creation and He does this when we obey His loving command to enter into His rest. In our daily lives, we might set our intentions on caring for our soul, but we must also learn to be ministered to by Him as part of that discipline.
Your Soul
At Collected workshops, we define the soul as the one-of-a-kind masterpiece that is YOU. Your soul is the work of art that God reverently created with heartfelt intent and set apart in uniqueness. Your truest self, unaffected by life in this world, is comprised of four aspects of your being: the body, mind, heart, and spirit. As humans, our souls interact with the world around us through our senses, thoughts, emotions, and even supernatural experiences. Sadly, the fallen world can do harm to the health of every aspect of our being, affecting our very souls. We can do much to prevent, repair, and restore ourselves, but only our Maker can bring perfect healing. Our part in the restorative process is engaging in Christ-centered soul care + intentional living.
His Ministry
Just as each soul is different, He might pour out His loving care on each of us differently in our unique relationships with Him. Take inventory of the ways He cares for each aspect of your being. Here are some thoughts to get you started:
God ministers to your mind with His WORD.
He shows you who He is and how He made you to live. He reminds you of His promises, His faithfulness, His goodness, and His love. He corrects you, directs you, and gives you guidance in making decisions.
God ministers to your heart with His LOVE.
He adores you, piles affection on you, and never fails or harms you. He delights in you and fights for you, comforts you, and encourages you.
God ministers to your spirit with His PRESENCE.
He comes near to you, becomes one with you, and honors you as His child. It's here that you experience His holiness, glory, and power.
God ministers to your body with His PROVISION.
He feeds you, clothes you, and keeps you safe and warm. He strengthens you, gives health to you, heals you, and keeps you from harm.
Your Response
The reflexive outcome of His ministry to our soul is worship and we do this with our entire being. Our thoughts spin in circles in awe of who He is, our emotions are flooded with love and gratitude, our spirits are in perfect unity with His as our bodies let it all overflow in song, dance, and shouts of praise!
Through intimacy, we come to know Him more and as a result, we gain a better understanding of His sovereignty. We come to believe His promises and trust His guidance. Our intimacy leads to obedience. Our obedience leads to righteousness. Righteousness brings greater intimacy and the cycle goes on and on.
Intentionality around intimacy and Sabbath rest diverts our desires from being aimed at the things of this world and personal survival. Instead, we set our sights and focus our energy on, and dedicate our resources to Kingdom matters.
Soul care is a collaborative effort. The Lord ministers to you in all the ways we talked about here, but that is most effective when you enter into His rest unaffected by life, with a healthy mind, heart, body, and Spirit.
We have work to do in our daily lives to be ready to receive all He longs to pour out on us in quiet. Soul care means tending to your mind through learning, caring for your emotions through healthy relationships, fueling and moving your body so it's ready for action, and seeking the Lord in your Spirit as a discipline and a habit.
When we remain steadfastly related to Him in intimacy, our perspective becomes that of Heaven. The time we spend facedown determines what we see when we look up. Light floods dark places so that we see what He wants us to do. Mountains look climbable, people look lovable, He looks faithful...
The grand outcome of all of His care and restoration is our readiness to pass it on. We minister to Him in our worship and service to others. He uses us to minister to each other in many of the ways He ministers to us. We speak Truth from His Word when someone’s thoughts are wrapped up in worry or bound by sin. We share His love with the broken-hearted through empathy and acts of kindness We are the vehicle for His provision when we give in response to His prompting. Most importantly, we carry His presence wherever we go! Living with intention around caring for your soul, walking in obedience, growing in intimacy, and allowing Him to minister to every aspect of your being increases your own capacity for ministry. So cool!
How does He minister to your soul?
Are you open to receiving His care?
How can God use YOU to minister to the souls around you?
Thoughts? Questions? Email me at hello@tiamcnelly.com. I'd LOVE to hear from you!