Do you know that you have a relationship with yourself? It may seem strange, but the truth is you have a much more active relationship with yourself than you do with anyone else.
Think about it: You can never get away from yourself. Wherever you go, there you are! And if you don’t like yourself, you’re in for a miserable life.
I spent many years being miserable because I didn’t like myself. It started because of abuse that I experienced throughout my childhood, which caused a root of shame to grow in my soul. I was ashamed of who I was…and it poisoned my soul.
I lived as a broken Christian for a long time. But when I finally made the decision to do whatever I had to do so God could heal my soul, I began a journey to wholeness that has radically changed my life.
It wasn’t easy and took longer than I thought it would take, but it was worth it to be able to live with peace and really enjoy my life.
What’s Your Story?
We all go through hard things and experience wounds in our soul. And we all have a story to tell…
Maybe you’re on the other side of a struggle and you have a story of victory of what God has done for you. Maybe you’re going through something right now and you think you just have to live with it
Maybe you have no idea that God is interested in helping you…that He cares about every detail in your life.
The truth is God wants you to enjoy your life, not just survive and live with the pain of your past.
John 10:10 says Jesus came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. And Psalm 147:3 says, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wound [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].
Jesus wants us to be completely whole. He died so we could have a life worth living now, while we’re on this earth.
This is an amazing promise God gives us, but it’s not something that automatically happens the moment we’re born again.
The Mess in My Soul
Your soul is made up of your mind, will and emotions. Because your soul is the inner part of you, it’s possible to hide who you really are from others—to look like you “have it all together” on the outside but be a mess on the inside.
And when you have a mess in your soul, it will end up coming out in some way and affect you mentally, emotionally, and in your relationships.
The condition of your soul is not only felt by you—it’s also felt by those who are in relationship with you.
When Dave and I were first married, I was a mess. I had no stability in my mind and emotions. As a result, I was controlled by my feelings, which meant that my circumstances determined whether I was happy, sad, irritated or mad.
It was a miserable way to live!
There were many days when Dave would wonder, What will she be like today? when he was on his way home from work. My soul was wounded, and I was wounding others because of it.
The Path to Soul Healing
My healing came as I committed to study God’s Word. James 1:21 says, …With a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls.
God’s Word has the power to save our souls! That means our mind, will and emotions can be healed and whole in Christ.
My mind can be renewed so I think like God thinks (see Romans 12:2). I don’t have to just think about any thought that falls into my head, and I don’t have to believe the lies of the enemy.
I don’t have to live by my feelings anymore. If I don’t get my way in a situation, I don’t have to get angry or stay angry very long. I can have peace in every circumstance. (See John 16:33 and Philippians 4:6-7.)
My will—or desires—can line up with what God wants for me. In other words, I can actually want what God wants more than what I think I want in my life.
I want to encourage you to make a determined decision that you are going to go all the way through the healing process with God and refuse to live with the pain, secrets and regrets of your past.
If you will trust God and believe what His Word says more than you believe what you think and feel, or what your circumstances look like, then you will make progress—little by little each day—in becoming more like Christ.
In Christ, you are free to become who God created you to be. You can be healed, whole, bold and confident. You can hold your head up high and fulfill the purpose and plan God has for your life.
You can have a healthy relationship with God and yourself!
Joyce Meyer, joycemeyer.org
