**********
"Now, the self-conscious part of our very being controls how God is seen and how our lives are impacted by the things that happen in this world. This isn’t how it was supposed to be, and we suffer in ways that make us give in to victim thinking as a result."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 110.
The soul is called the "self-conscious" part of our being. If you boil it all down, the soul is really what sets one person apart from another. Sure, we have physical differences that makes each and everyone different, but, there is something about the soul that makes the individual truly unique.
The soul is an amazing combination of will, intellect and emotions. The power of the soul comes as we mix together these three elements, in just the right combination so as to make our mark on this world. Though the soul is a powerful force, it was never intended to be what humans were meant to rely on when it comes to making our identities what we think they should be.
You see, the soul is too limited in nature to be able to piece together all the segments of what it takes to have an identity that can stand the test of time. The soul's power comes when it reacts to stimuli. It simply was not designed to be the architect and implementer of something as precious and important as our identity. I believe identity has to come from something much more creative, something much more foundational than an entity that was made to react to input.
The soul, when led by the spirit, is a force that is something to behold. The spirit is that part of us that, I believe, is divine in nature. It is the spirit that has a connection with God that makes it uniquely qualified to help shape who we are. When the soul's ability to be the reactionary force it was made to be, is combined with the eternal connection of the spirit, humans begin to shine in ways that make change something exciting to contemplate.
When we rely on our will, intellect and emotions to shape our identity, we settle for a version of who we are that is only as good as what is happening in our lives at that moment. If things are going well, our soul react in a way as to let our identities be positive and, Oh so good. When things take a turn for the worse, our identities spiral into pits of despair, at times, all as the soul does its best to react to the negative coming against us at that time.
The spirit's job isn't to react. It's job is to hold a steady course. The spirit knows where we are headed. The soul can only react to where we are right now. The spirit isn't concerned with the highs and lows of our situation unless those highs and lows are taking us in the wrong direction. When the spirit is in control, it empowers the soul to react to getting off course in ways that makes it easy to get our lives back on track. The soul just isn't capable of doing that same kind of job because it doesn't have all the tools necessary like the spirit does. Relying on the soul to do the work of the spirit is like trying to fit a square peg in the round hole. Just like any job in the real world, the right tool for the right work is paramount to making easy work of any task.
I believe that is why our society has sunk so deeply into its Victim-Based condition. Not having the right tools to make identity all it is suppose to be has made it so easy for us all to be entitled, misinformed, demanding, offended and victimized individuals. As a result, our souls continue to try and dig us out of this mess in ever increasing ways that make victim thinking all the more likely. It just doesn't have to be this way.
The spirit has something that the soul needs desperately. Check out today's Bible verse for what the spirit has that the soul is lacking.
But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding. Job 32:8 (NIV)
Understanding. What an amazing word. In the original language, this word could be thought of as discernment. I have met people who have amazing discernment. Some are really good at understanding people. Others are amazing at understanding business situations. What I have found is that, though these people are discerning in one or two areas, they are completely in the dark in others. The person who might be good at reading other people might not have a clue about business decisions and vice versa.
When it comes to identity we need understanding that covers the gambit of all that our lives will come into contact with in this world. I love what our reading says about our spirit. It is "the breath of the Almighty." God breathed life into humans and that breath was what gave us this powerful force called the spirit of man. Having that connection with the creator of all things makes our spirits uniquely capable of an understanding necessary to make our identities something of value in our world today.
You are going to come up against a host of things in your dealings today. Wouldn't it be nice to have an understanding that made it possible to move in power and influence? That's exactly what God wants for your life. That is the epitome of what victor living is to look like. Yet, we settle for so much less when we are led by the soul.
I wish I had a magic formula that told us all how to make the spirit be in charge every moment. That just doesn't exist. All I know to do is to close my eyes, take a deep breath and let the eternal nature of who I am have a moment to move my soul in ways I would never be able to do on my own. I have found that when I let the spirit be in control, there is a peace in my soul that sometimes just can't be explained. I now do all I can to seek and follow that peace, even when my circumstances don't look exactly how I would like them to.
Isn't' it time to allow your spirit to come alive and take the lead in your life? Make today more than you ever expected it to be. Let your spirit direct your soul and watch what happens as you move in the power God gave you, the victor He has made you to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment