“Call this world if you please ‘The vale of soul-making.’ “- John Keats
As John Ortberg continues Chapter 7 of Soul Keeping, he stresses that soul formation is the most important process in the universe. While in our day self-talk often is discussed, in the Bible people talked to their souls. The difference between self-talk and soul-talk is that the soul exists in the presence of God, as Pastor Ortberg explains:
” . . . you will see in the Psalms and elsewhere people speaking to their souls because when you speak to the soul, it naturally turns to prayer because in the soul God is always present.”
When we’re frightened or dissatisfied, John encourages us to speak to our soul rather than engage in mindless self-talk. While John notes that at first the idea of speaking to the soul might seem a bit silly, we need to remember that we are the keepers of our souls- no one else.
Our anger, fears, or dissatisfactions do not define us. Talking to our soul gives our soul a place to stand before God. We can talk sensibly about our problem, even as it ebbs form our soul. Soul-care is a different task than self-care. We don’t just care for our soul for our own sake. It is ours only on loan, and it is coming due soon. Pastor Ortberg concludes:
“. . . our soul is like an inner stream of water that gives strength, direction, and harmony to every other area of life.”
Today’s question: What problems in your life would benefit from soul-talk? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A dented soul”
