Health of the Soul

Think of the health of the soul in this way. No matter what you do to keep you body fit, it is all for naught if you don’t eat properly. If you have a health crisis, the chances of surviving are diminished. For our souls, if we absent ourselves from God that also negates whatever else we may be doing to be spiritually ‘fit’. If you then have a spiritual crisis, the chances that you would turn to God are diminished. In times of trouble, we turn to the people with whom we have a relationship, not strangers. If we have not maintained a relationship with God, then in times of trouble, He is like a stranger to us. God is always there to help us; it is our own attitudes which block Him since He will not impose His will on our freedom to choose our paths. Mother Teresa once said (paraphrase) “If we weren’t doing it for Jesus, everything that we do would be just social work.” Likewise, if we concentrate on living ‘good’ lives, i.e. volunteering, giving to charities, etc., but have no place for God, all our efforts are just works. Our actions need to come from a base of faith, not from ourselves. Only then will they be of value to us spiritually, helping us to grow in the love of God as we act out of love of God. If we do not have God as the base of our lives, then when trouble comes, all else can just vanish leaving us alone, empty and purposeless. God is there but we don’t even feel worthy to approach Him having ignored Him in the ‘good ‘ times. God wants us to give Him room in our lives. He wants to nourish us, encourage us, help us, love us. He wants to fill us with His love, grace, the Holy Spirit. Filled, we can face anything, endure anything, and survive anything. “God is love, and He who abides in love, abides in God and God in him.” 1 John 4:16