SATURDAY EDITORIAL

GETTING A HEALTHY SOUL

It isn’t healthy to vomit. It doesn’t do your soul a bit of good. The best thing is to hear the Word, chew on it, swallow it, and let it down on the inside of you so that you can do it! Every Christian really does want to do the right thing. They just get confused within themselves. When their untrained mind takes over, they spit up whatever Word doesn’t fit their mind’s criteria. This isn’t healthy.

First, it’s important to know that the “real you” is the combination of your spirit and soul. The Bible says nothing can separate this but the living Word of God. The real you is encased in a flesh body. Salvation happens when your soul (which is your mind, will, and emotions) decides to accept Jesus as your Redeemer. Then God’s Holy Spirit moves in and re-births your spirit so that you can hear God’s voice.

The spirit part of you has no problem with the things of God. It’s your soulish part (mind, will, and emotions) that you’re re-training when you read the Bible. Your mind, will, and emotions are what you use to make decisions in everyday life. Your potential in life is so great, but if your mind is messed up, you aren’t going anywhere! Nothing works out when your decision in life are guided by a messed up mind, will and an out-of-whack emotional state. The teachings of Jesus help you straighten out your mind, will, and emotions so you can live how God wants you to---in peace, joy, and love.

Jesus’ teachings are right there; ready to help you out in life. So, eat that Word! Swallow it down, even if it doesn’t taste so good sometimes. And as you eat it, swallow it; and digest it, you’ll see that it’s a better life. Listen, I understand that it’s not easy. People think that easy and better mean the same thing. They don’t. Sometimes what’s easy isn’t what’s best. Sometimes it’s harder to do what’s best.

I know some of those Scriptures are hard to hear. Take for instance the Scripture in Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you…”

Let’s just face it, sometimes you just want to knock the fire out of somebody! It’s hard to bless somebody who is cussing you out. It’s hard to do good to those that hate you. And when they are acting like idiots, who wants to pray for them? But you’re the better person for it, even if it’s tough. It is like a bad tasting vegetable. It stinks and it doesn’t taste good, but it’s the best one for your body.

Don’t ask me why that’s the way it is, it just is. Like food is nutritious to your body, the teachings of the Bible are nutritious to the soul. Your mind, will, and emotions become a whole lot healthier when you’ve been applying what you read in the Bible. Plus, you start hearing God’s voice a lot easier, too!

Excerpt from the Covenant by Jesse Duplantis