Soul Care (part 7)

Welcome back to part 7 of our blog on soul care.

Isaiah 42:3 (MSG) 3 He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant, but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right. This is God’s promise to you today. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever ( Heb 13:8 ) If he healed while on this earth, he will heal today. He will steadily and firmly set things right in your life and in your emotional health. As I mentioned in our last blog I wanted to give some practical steps and tie things together that we have been mentioning concerning emotional health. I am not a licensed or professional counselor and I can only share God’s Word and thirty years of experience in walking with the Lord. Both in life and ministry. God through the Word, Christian relationships, a few very close friends, and the Holy Spirit have helped me to overcome so much through the years. I am forever grateful and I can say it is by the grace of God that “I can say it is well with my soul.”

This is a great verse: 1 Peter 2:24-25 (NKJV) 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. One translation says that Jesus is the overseer or protector of our souls. Check this out from Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) – New Testament. In the Old Testament, the sheep died for the shepherd; but at Calvary, the Shepherd died for the sheep (John 10). Every lost sinner is like a sheep gone astray: ignorant, lost, wandering, in danger, away from the place of safety, and unable to help himself. The Shepherd went out to search for the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7). He died for the sheep! Now that we have been returned to the fold and are safely in His care, He watches over us. Jesus bore all the emotional pain and sorrows that any human being could ever go through ( Isiah 53:4-5 ). He suffered for us so that we may experience healing in our bodies and receive emotional health. We don’t have to be ignorant, lost, wandering, and in danger emotionally, and away from a place of safety. God is our fortress and our refuge.

For some who are unbelievers, it doesn’t mean that they can’t achieve some level of emotional health and well-being apart from a relationship with God through Christ. God in his mercy has provided loving and caring people who can help. Whether it’s professional health care workers, medications, and professional counseling. Yet it’s my opinion that most of the time they are only dealing with the physical and emotional part of man. I believe being medicated can help but hopefully shouldn’t be long-term and the only prescription for emotional normality. There is a better way I believe.

I have studied psychology in college, read many self-help and counseling books, and even pursued some forms of spirituality. Yet the biggest change in my life came when I gave my life to Christ. When I entered into a relationship with a loving and caring God. The one who created me, who knows me better than anyone. Truly the Lord is the overseer of my entire being. This brings great hope, comfort, and victory as we navigate this life. Through all the storms, trials, and temptations that we may experience we are not alone. God is there for us!

So what does the road to emotional health and soul care look like? What can we do? How do we become more emotionally healthy?

1. It starts with a relationship with Christ. Turning our lives over to Him and asking for God’s help. ( Rom 10:9-10, John 3:3-8 )
2. Next is developing a prayer life. I think people who have a prayer life are more stable and healthy in their emotions. A life of prayer is a form of emotional and spiritual release of our burdens, cares, and frustrations. It shows our dependency on our Father in heaven that we need Him every day ( Matt 6:25-34, 1 Peter 5:7 ). Instead of being co-dependent on other people our trust and dependency are in God.
3. Another important thing is reading and studying the Word of God. This is mind renewal (Rom 12:1-2 ) Look at this verse: 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV) 13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. God’s Word is Spirit and life ( John 6:63 ). When reading, and studying the Word of God and approaching it with faith it with change the way we think. God’s word is truth and Jesus said, “you shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.“ It will set you free from unhealthy thinking and unhealthy emotional responses. You are what you think ( Prov. 23:7a ). It is a process of renewing your mind. Learning to think in a whole new way. It will change how you perceive things and how you respond to people and life situations. Spend time in God’s Word daily. Ask the Holy Spirit to help and guide you as you read God’s Word.
4. Another helpful thing is to start a journal. It helps to get all those emotions, feelings, and thoughts down on paper and out of your head. You will feel much lighter and happier.
5. Another thing is to find a community of like-minded believers to support and pray for you. If you are not a Church goer it’s time that you start. We need the body of Christ. We need each other. We need to hear the Word of God taught and preached. We need to worship God with other believers. We need to experience the presence of God and the genuine love of other Christians. We are not perfect and we all are learning and growing. God will bring the right people into your life. ( Heb 10:25 ).
6. Social media I think is not the best way to emotional health. Spending so much time on our phones and computers is undermining our emotional health. We need to be with people face to face. We need to develop lasting relationships. We also need a few close friends that we can confide in and share our pains and hurts. People that we can trust and who will pray with us and for us.
7. A very important thing is learning to get rid of offenses, bitterness, and unforgiveness – Mark 11:25, Matt 6:14, Eph 4:32, Heb 12:15, Prov 18:19, Psalm 119:165 . These two are like poison in your life. Yes, you may have been hurt, abused, mistreated in some way, etc. Holding on to these negative emotions will only hurt you in the long run. God will help you to release these unhealthy emotions and it starts with choosing to do so, even if you don’t feel like it. You can start by writing it down in your journal. Then talk to God, a counselor, and maybe a close friend.
8. Depending on your situation you may need to talk to a professional Christian counselor. This takes courage to seek out help. Many times we are dealing with issues that greatly affect us emotionally. Difficult issues like gender issues, sexual bondages, suicidal tendencies, severe depression, addictions, physical, and emotional abuse, and different forms of trauma. This will add to downloading more truth into your life, establishing healthy boundaries, and learning to make the right decisions in your life. It will help to identify why you may think and respond emotionally the way you do. A counselor doesn’t do all the work for you they just help you through the process. God doesn’t want you to just cope with life, He wants you to be an overcomer in life. He wants you to walk in love, peace, and joy! (Gal 5:22 ).
9. It is also important to know that fear, isolation, loneliness, compulsive disorders, worry, anxiety, and depression don’t have to be a way of life. A lot of these issues can be changed by the right thinking. Thinking in line with God’s Word. Learning to have the right image of yourself and others as God sees you and them. Learning your identity in Christ, letting God’s love and care transform your life. Permit God to work in your life. You will be amazed at what He does for you. Learning how to put off these behaviors and put on new behaviors through the right thinking. ( Col 3:12-14, Col 3:8-10 )
10. We must remember that there is an enemy of our souls, the devil, and his demonic entities that seek to upend and destroy our lives ( John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8 ). Jesus defeated them at the cross and provided spiritual armor and offensive spiritual weapons to combat them with. ( Eph 6:10-18 ). The devil can’t do anything to us without our consent and cooperation. We can’t give him a place in our lives, especially through pride, unforgiveness, bitterness, rebellion, self-centeredness, and fear. Proverbs 4:20-23 (NKJV) -20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. We need to keep and guard our hearts through confession, repentance, and resisting these types of feelings, thoughts, and emotions. (James 4:7 )
11. A powerful and life-changing habit is learning to admit and confess our sins, wrong thinking, wrong attitudes, and wrong behavior to God and when appropriate to others. Repentance is a gift from God (1 John 1:9 ). Confession is releasing these things from our lives and following through with the right choices and actions.
12. For the believer, the born-again person you have the power and the authority of the Holy Spirit in your life and Your spirit- ( John 14:26, John 16:13, John 17:17 ). You are not just a mind, will, and emotions in a physical body. You are a spirit as well (1 Thess 5:23 ). You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. ( 1 Cor 3:16, 1 Cor 6:19-20 ). You have the supply of God’s Spirit who will lead and guide you into all truth. Emotional health and soul care always start with the truth that reveals the lies of the enemy in our lives. The truth will uncover the hindrances and roadblocks to emotional health as mentioned before.
13. Start developing healthy self-talk. (Prov 18:21, Philemon 1:6 ). Don’t be hung by the tongue. Don’t say I can’t. Don’t put yourself down, Don’t say I’ll never amount to anything. I’ll never learn or I’ll never change. Don’t say I’m nothing, or I’m a failure. Don’t say I’m too afraid or I’m not worthy or I’ll never succeed at anything. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail. Don’t quit, keep going on the road to emotional health. Learn to say good things about yourself. Acknowledge daily God’s love and care for you. Be optimistic and thankful for all of God’s blessings. Learn to memorize and speak the Word of God over yourself. (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-6 )

I don’t pretend to have covered everything in this blog. But hopefully, it is a start for many of you. Take time to go through the scriptures above. Sometimes we need to get out of our boat of unhealthy emotions and wrong attitudes and start walking on the water of impossibilities. All things are possible to them that believe. You have to believe that you can have a healthy emotional life. By the way, a healthy spiritual life leads to a healthy emotional life. God wants us to exercise faith and trust in Him especially when it comes to soul care and emotional health. Be encouraged today and know that God loves you unconditionally. Take His hand and start to walk this path of emotional health. You can do it!

• Psalm 42:11 (NKJV) -11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
• Psalm 42:11 (MSG) -11 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God—soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God.
• Psalm 42:11 (PassionNTPsa) -11 So I say to my soul, “Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be disturbed. For I know my God will break through for me.”Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again. Yes, living before his face is my saving grace!

Love in Christ;

Brent and Linda

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