Spirit, Soul, and Body: Participating in Soul Work

"I know God loves me but I can't seem to get out of my own way."

"I know I am saved but I'm still so angry."

"I believe in Jesus but I still struggle in this area, with this mindset, etc."

Have you heard this before? Have YOU been here before? I most definitely have and, as a human beinggggg, I still have these moments. Because even when you conquer a new level, God continues to heal and reveal.

I wanted to share one thing that might bring clarity and understanding to the struggles you may be facing as a believer. If you are going to overcome through Christ, you need to understand how God created you.

You are made up of spirit, soul and body. A common misconception is that spirit and soul are the same because it sounds pretty and romantic, but our soul can be pretty messy.

• We are a SPIRIT. You see this in Genesis when man was created. Your spirit longs to have connection with God and what makes being human so special.

• We have a SOUL. Your soul is made up of your mind (your thoughts, reasoning, beliefs, attitudes, etc.), your will (the ability to make choices, ambitions, etc.), and your emotions (how you feel and experience this life). This shapes your personality. It is also where your conscious and subconscious reside. Your conscious is influenced by the world, environments, family upbringing, learned morals and experiences. Before Christ, it was the inner voice that guided you (but the origin of that voice, before Christ was us, which can sometimes be unreliable).

• We live in a BODY. And all this happens within a skin bag. Ha ew. That sounds absolutely disgusting. All this happens in a physical body (cells, organs, systems, senses, etc.) where you exist in this material world.

As a Christian, your spirit has been made new. Cue balloon drop! But really, When you become a Christian you are a new creature. God awakens your spirit. 💡

You are what the scriptures declare- "you have been adopted," "you are God's masterpiece," "you are created for good works, which God has prepared in advance for you," "you are an heir," and"your spirit is perfected in Christ Jesus." You have access to every promise! Thank you JESUS!

But the truth is, our soul can be in conflict with our renewed spirit. Thus, where the friction happens (example: the opening comments above).

Your soul can still hold unforgiveness. You may still have strongholds. You may still grapple with shame and you can still have faulty belief systems. You may still have addictions or patterns or a weak identity. Your soul can have major pull over your daily existence.

Sidebar: Please don't think about your soul as bad. It's not. We just live in a fallen world and our soul is touched by that. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, God develops our soul for our good and His glory. sIt's amazing that God gives YOU the ability to think, have free will and experience life through emotions.

The Christian term sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus. It's giving the Holy Spirit permission to reveal and work in your life. Our job is to yeild and obey. But think about it, it's becoming who God already says you are! That's stinking beautiful. I hope that alleviates some of the pressure that striving brings.

A majority of the work we do in Christian Life Coaching IS THIS. You have to work out in the territory of your soul, what has already happened in the spirit because of Jesus.

Dealing with the issues of your soul is hard work, but it's GOOD work. It takes courage to really allow the Holy Spirit in, to shine light on your dark areas. It takes time and intentionality and self awareness on your end.

Part of this process is identifying lies and replacing them with God's truth. It's a battle of your TRUE identity, but this is a crucial part to your spiritual maturity.

Being aware of this difference, and how spirit, soul and body interact with one another, has been life changing for me personally, as I partner with the Holy Spirit to bring healing and freedom to my life. I hope that this is a lightbulb for you and even changes the way you view yourself and the progress God wants to make in your life.

Let me know if this was helpful. You can always drop feedback in the comments.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Spirit, Soul, and Body: Participating in Soul Work

"Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again." 1 Thessalonians 5:23

"Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7

"Who knows the thoughts that another person has? Only a person’s spirit that lives within him knows his thoughts. It is the same with God. No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." 1 Corinthians 2:11

"Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear." Philippians 2:12