Temple Care

Stewardship: Soul Care

In our journey of faith, we often focus on spiritual growth and physical well-being, but there's a crucial component that deserves equal attention: our soul. As believers, we are called to be good stewards of all that God has entrusted to us, including our very selves. This holistic approach to stewardship encompasses five key areas: time, talents, treasures, temple, and testimony.

At the heart of our stewardship lies the daily encounter with Jesus. This foundational practice involves worship, engaging with God's Word, prayer, and fellowship. While many Christians faithfully practice the first three, fellowship is often neglected. However, community is vital for our spiritual health. Without it, even the most devout believer can become isolated and develop strange ideas. As the saying goes, "I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two." Decades of ministry experience have shown that isolation can lead to peculiar interpretations of faith.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are "servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." Our calling is to be faithful with what God has entrusted to us. This includes the profound truth that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We don't belong to ourselves; we were bought at a high price through Christ's sacrifice. This realization should transform how we care for our physical selves.

King David's devotion to building a temple for God serves as an inspiring example. He used every resource at his command, providing vast quantities of gold, silver, and precious materials. This principle applies to how we care for our own "temples." When it comes to our health and vitality, is anything too expensive? This mindset can influence even small decisions, like choosing organic produce over pesticide-laden alternatives.

Our beings are tripartite: spirit, soul, and body. These aspects are interconnected, each influencing the others. Spirit care begins with being born again, as Jesus taught Nicodemus. It involves living, loving, and leading like Jesus – allowing Him to be the lens through which we view and interact with the world. Practical ways to nurture our spirits include purposing in the spirit, praying in the spirit, walking in the spirit, and sharing the gospel in the spirit.

Soul care, encompassing our mind, will, and emotions, is an area often overlooked in church settings. Two powerful practices for soul care are meditation and gratitude. Biblical meditation involves pondering God's Word, applying it to our lives, and even speaking it aloud. As God instructed Joshua, meditating on Scripture day and night leads to success and prosperity.

Gratitude is a transformative practice that counters our culture's tendency towards complaining and negativity. Scripture exhorts us to give thanks in all circumstances – not just the pleasant ones. Research shows that practicing gratitude for just 15 minutes a day, five days a week, for six weeks can significantly enhance mental wellness and create lasting positive changes in perspective.

The benefits of cultivating gratitude are numerous:
- Reduced anxiety and depression
- Improved self-esteem
- Better heart health and lower blood pressure
- Decreased stress levels
- Enhanced sleep quality
- Increased happiness and life satisfaction
- Greater resilience in facing challenges
- Fewer physical ailments

Practical ways to incorporate gratitude into daily life include:
1. Writing thank-you notes
2. Verbally expressing appreciation to others
3. Keeping a gratitude journal
4. Counting your blessings
5. Creating a "blessing jar" to collect moments of gratitude throughout the year
6. Focusing on positive experiences
7. Incorporating thankfulness into prayer

Soul care also involves being mindful of what we allow into our minds. We are called to renew our minds daily and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. This is particularly important for men, who are often visually oriented and need to guard against unhelpful images and thoughts.

Our words and attitudes play a significant role in soul care. Constantly saying "I can't" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Like the little engine that could, our outlook often determines our outcome. Shifting our thinking and confession towards gratitude and possibility can lead to transformative results.

As we consider stewardship of our whole selves – spirit, soul, and body – let's remember that these aspects are interconnected. Caring for one area positively impacts the others. Our bodies affect our spirits, our spirits influence our souls, and our souls impact our physical well-being.

In this season, let's commit to honoring God by nurturing all aspects of our being. May we be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, allowing His presence to radiate through us. As we cultivate gratitude, meditate on His Word, and care for our temples, we open ourselves to experience the fullness of life that God intends for us.

Let's challenge ourselves to shift our perspective, focusing on the blessings around us rather than dwelling on negatives. By doing so, we not only improve our own well-being but also become beacons of positivity and grace in a world that desperately needs it.

As we embark on this journey of holistic stewardship, may we echo the words of Joshua: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord all the days of our lives." Let's embrace the grace that God offers, allowing the love of the Father to touch every aspect of our being. May the Holy Spirit continually remind us of God's goodness, guiding us to care for our spirits, souls, and bodies in ways that honor Him.

In doing so, we'll find ourselves better equipped to love like Jesus, lead like Jesus, and truly make a difference in our world. This is the essence of good stewardship – using all that God has given us to glorify Him and benefit His creation. As we practice these principles, we'll discover a life of greater purpose, joy, and impact than we ever imagined possible.