How Are You…Really?

Many times people don’t know how to deal with their “issues” because they don’t understand what’s really going on in their soul. Let’s start by clarifying what your soul is.

Loosely, we can say that our soul is our personality, the way we present ourselves. It’s also described as the inner part of you—your mind, will and emotions—and it encompasses your thoughts, feelings, desires, and attitudes. So if your soul is wounded and hurting, it is going to negatively affect every part of your life:

• Your decisions
• Your perspectives of people and circumstances
• Your approach to managing your emotions (or not managing them)
• Your beliefs about who you are, who God is, and what you can expect in this life

It’s easy to see why soul-healing is vitally important if you want to enjoy life, have healthy relationships, and become everything God has created you to be.

Today, focus on making an honest, accurate evaluation of the state of your soul. Grab a notebook or journal and answer the following questions:

Mind

• Do you ever think about what you’re thinking about?
• What’s the “climate” of your mind in general—positive, encouraging and hopeful or negative, discouraging and depressing?
• Do you consciously choose to line your thoughts up with the truths in God’s Word?

Will

• What are you strongly determined to do or not do? What is nonnegotiable or matters most to you? (Think about this in terms of the way you go about your daily routine as well as your long-term goals or plans.)
• Do you strive to be in control because if you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will?
• Are you able to trust anyone and allow them to help you or give you guidance in your decisions? Do you always insist on pursuing what you want, rather than what God wants or what may be good for others?

Emotions

• How do you generally feel? Happy? Hopeful? Anxious? Fearful? Tense and stressed? Guilty and condemned? Free to be yourself? Confident?
• Do your feelings determine the thoughts you focus on and the choices you make?
• Are you able to control your behavior when you are feeling hurt, afraid or insecure?

As you prayerfully consider these questions, God will likely reveal some things you didn’t realize about yourself that will help you determine how to take steps forward in your healing process. If you’re struggling to answer them, talk with someone you trust who knows you well and can honestly help you with this.

Refuse to hide from the truth of who you really are and what you need. Without Jesus, we’re all BIG messes! None of us can successfully run our own lives by ourselves. We desperately need God’s love, wisdom and grace to get from where we are to where we truly want to be!