Taking Care of Our Souls
This is an audio recording of Taking Care of Our Souls the Day 12 entry in Today for Seafarers (Vol. 1) devotional by Jason Zuidema.
Listen to the audio by Sheila Margerrison or read the text below:
“Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let
us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked
out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of
faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning
its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Most engine crew members could tell you soon after getting on board a ship how well the engine was taken care of in the past few years.
As with most things in life, it is important not to judge a ship by its age. Sometimes brandnew ships can require the most work. And some ships that look quite old on the outside can have engines that still run very well. If the crew in the engine room took good care of its engines throughout its life, a ship can run well for more than twenty years.
The welfare of our body is similar. Our bodies can be in radically different states, depending on how we treat them. If we do not have a proper diet and get enough exercise, we will certainly get out of shape, and we could run into serious medical problems.
How much more is this true for our spiritual life—our soul. Today’s verses from Hebrews tell us that we must “throw off” or get rid of things that cause harm to our spiritual lives. It is not easy to move forward in our spiritual lives if we are burdened by distractions and other challenges that demand our attention and keep us from focusing on God through prayer, Bible reading, and worship.
We need to feed and take care of our souls. If we don’t have a good spiritual diet and we don’t do any spiritual exercise, we will not grow in the right way. It is especially the Holy Spirit who feeds our souls and makes us grow spiritually, to be more like Christ.
For Further Thought
What problems are you facing in your spiritual life?
Are you able to move forward spiritually, or do you feel tired and burdened? Explain.
How does God strengthen our faith?
Prayer
Dear Lord, your Son Jesus showed us how to live. Thank you for the life you have given us through him. Forgive us when we neglect the care of our bodies and souls. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
