Soul Care from Psalm 23
My most recent morning retreat with God (for my 99 in 999 list) was about three weeks ago. That morning, I was weary in both body and soul, and I couldn't make myself feel any other way. I was just physically and mentally exhausted. (You may know the feeling, especially if you are or ever have been a parent of small children...!) Anyway, when I sat down to read the Word, something told me to take a little break from my Bible reading plan and read something else. When thinking about what I might read instead, particularly with regard to how I was feeling, the first thing that came to mind was "He restores my soul," from Psalm 23:3. So I spent the morning doing a bit of a deep-dive into this familiar psalm, and I came away with some interesting insights on the idea of self-care.
Self-care is a popular topic at the moment, but I've often wondered: What does self-care look like for a follower of Jesus? After reading Psalm 23, I would propose that self-care for the Christian is more like "soul care," and God offers it to us in abundance.
Soul Care Insights from Psalm 23
When bad things happen, God comforts us. Nothing else brings true and lasting comfort. Not food, TV, or other relationships.
The health of our souls matters to God. Not just the things we do, but what motivates those actions. If our souls are tired and burdened all the time, we will not produce actions or thoughts that honor Him. Our ultimate goal and purpose in life is to glorify God, but I think we underestimate the importance of caring for our souls as a means of achieving that end. An empty plate feeds no one. Likewise, a weary soul produces nothing that pleases the Lord.
Rest requires strength. (Ironic, isn't it?) Making room for rest sometimes means saying "no" to other things, and that is HARD. I often feel like saying "no" to others in order to take care of myself is, well...selfish. But it is in that rest that God enables and empowers me to do things like loving my husband and kids well, taking care of our home, and serving in the local church. So I would say that soul care is not only unselfish; it's necessary.
So what does this soul care look like in practice? Well...that's a good question. To be honest, I'm not sure there is only one way to do it. It may look different for you than it does for me. It may be to start having a daily quiet time of reading the Bible, if you're not already doing so. It may be to set aside a few minutes each day to read a good Christian book to reinforce what you're reading in the Word. You might listen to a sermon (if you're looking for a starting point, I humbly suggest the ones I hear at my church each week). You might spend a few minutes just reflecting on the specific ways in which He has shown kindness to you, maybe even writing those things in a journal. Maybe you drive to a place with no wifi, turn off your phone (*gasp*), and hole up with your Bible and journal for a day. Whatever it is, I do think the Word has to be at the center. Other things like watching movies or sleeping in might be relaxing, and there's nothing wrong with those things, but I don't think those things hold the same soul-restoring potential as the Word of God. It may require a change of mindset to see the Word this way. It may require time and effort. But I promise you, brothers and sisters, the payoff is worth it.
Soul Care Insights from Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
God takes care of us. Because He cares for us so well, we have everything we need. There is no room for discontentment. In Him, we lack no good thing. There is nothing missing from our lives.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
"He makes me lie down..." In a world that is pushing us to run ourselves ragged, God calls us to rest. To calmness.
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
When I think of the word "restore," the first thing that comes to mind is restoring furniture. Furniture is restored by stripping away the old exterior and replacing it with something new and beautiful. In the same way, God strips away that which threatens to burden our souls in order to replace it with His righteousness. He brings our souls back to true beauty.
We do not struggle to attain righteousness, for that would be burdensome to our souls; no, God gently leads us in it. He has imparted the righteousness of Christ to us, for His glory and the good of our souls.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.We fear nothing (not death, sickness, bad days, persecution, failure, or something horrible happening to the ones we love), because God goes with us in all things.
When bad things happen, God comforts us. Nothing else brings true and lasting comfort. Not food, TV, or other relationships.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.God can, and does, cause us to prosper in the midst of adversity. Not always necessarily material prosperity, but always the prosperity of our souls. Abundant, overflowing prosperity of our souls.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.God has always been good and merciful to us, and He will continue to be. Not only in this life, but also in the life to come, when we get to spend eternity with Him. God is always with us, and we must always stay with Him. There is no better way.
The health of our souls matters to God. Not just the things we do, but what motivates those actions. If our souls are tired and burdened all the time, we will not produce actions or thoughts that honor Him. Our ultimate goal and purpose in life is to glorify God, but I think we underestimate the importance of caring for our souls as a means of achieving that end. An empty plate feeds no one. Likewise, a weary soul produces nothing that pleases the Lord.
Rest requires strength. (Ironic, isn't it?) Making room for rest sometimes means saying "no" to other things, and that is HARD. I often feel like saying "no" to others in order to take care of myself is, well...selfish. But it is in that rest that God enables and empowers me to do things like loving my husband and kids well, taking care of our home, and serving in the local church. So I would say that soul care is not only unselfish; it's necessary.
So what does this soul care look like in practice? Well...that's a good question. To be honest, I'm not sure there is only one way to do it. It may look different for you than it does for me. It may be to start having a daily quiet time of reading the Bible, if you're not already doing so. It may be to set aside a few minutes each day to read a good Christian book to reinforce what you're reading in the Word. You might listen to a sermon (if you're looking for a starting point, I humbly suggest the ones I hear at my church each week). You might spend a few minutes just reflecting on the specific ways in which He has shown kindness to you, maybe even writing those things in a journal. Maybe you drive to a place with no wifi, turn off your phone (*gasp*), and hole up with your Bible and journal for a day. Whatever it is, I do think the Word has to be at the center. Other things like watching movies or sleeping in might be relaxing, and there's nothing wrong with those things, but I don't think those things hold the same soul-restoring potential as the Word of God. It may require a change of mindset to see the Word this way. It may require time and effort. But I promise you, brothers and sisters, the payoff is worth it.
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers... -3 John 2
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