Soul

CS Lewis had a way of saying extraordinary things in ordinary language, like this simple line from Mere Christianity that reveals volumes about theology and the Biblical view of what it means to be a human: "You don't have a soul; you are a soul. You have a body." Let that truth rest in your mind for a while.

The truest, most real, and eternal part of who you are is your spiritual nature that is housed, somewhat uncomfortably, inside your mortal body. Many people live as though their soul did not exist. Even people who claim spiritual enlightenment often live as though the body and its limitations were the extent of human experience.

The Biblical truth is, God created us to be immortal, to live forever, but not to be bound for eternity in the frail, broken, sin-drawn bodies we now inhabit. He created us to know and love Him from a part of our being that can reach deeper and soar higher than our minds and muscles. The Psalms are filled with soul-language. We read there the groanings and longings of the deep places. We hear of our spiritual drive to be with God even as the body is failing or suffering or fleeing.

Listen to these lines from Psalm 42:

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. (v. 1)
Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls. (v. 7)
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed with me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. (vv. 5, 11)

You hear in these words the voice of the soul crying out. This spiritual part of our lives is not separate or other than our bodies and minds, but fully integrated and yet able to transcend. When our bodies suffer, our souls long for relief. When our minds worry, our souls seek comfort.

As we follow Jesus, one of our souls' most vital tasks is to listen to God's voice and discern His leading. We can't always understand what God is doing or why, but our souls can recognize His voice and find refuge in His presence. Whether we face moments of happiness or sorrow or anxiety or success, our souls anchor us to God and give us evident assurance that He will never leave us nor forsake us.