27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27
What is a Soul?
It’s time for our Luke 10:27 Challenge: With ALL Your Soul, Day 1! What is your soul? At first glance, that may be a bit hard to distinguish from your heart. Your heart is comprised of all the things you love and hold dear. Your soul is what makes you who you are. It isn’t what you love, it’s what you are. It’s the essence of your being. Your soul will live on long after your body is gone.
How Can We Take Care of Our Souls?
If who we are is so important, we need to make sure that we are taking time to nourish ourselves. After all, when we die, our souls are the only things we are going to take with us. We need time to be quiet, to reflect, and to wrestle with our thoughts and feelings. It’s nearly impossible to reflect on who we are when the rest of the world is shouting at us. We have to have some time to retreat, withdraw from the world. Even Jesus did this.
After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone.” Matthew 14:23 NIV
He didn’t just do it one time, either. There are a few instances of this recorded in scripture.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 NIV
But Jesus OFTEN withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 NIV
But It’s So Hard! A few tips for Mamas…
Moms of little ones, let me pull you aside for a minute and just say, “I know.” I know how hard it is to find time to get even a minute of peace. When was the last time we even got to go to the bathroom alone? My kids wake up early and try to stay up late, so even those times can be a struggle. But we need to keep trying, keep training them. They need alone time too, even though they may not realize it yet. At the very least, we need to practice teaching them to be still for a few moment. You may even practice it together. You may not be alone physically, but at least your brain can enjoy some solitude. Listen to some quiet music if you want. Let the kids draw what they are feeling.
I am not a huge fan of the TV, but I am going to say something kind of controversial here…let the kids watch TV. There is no attention grabber like a television! I don’t know what it is, but when the TV is on, the rest of the world has fallen away according to my children. I don’t love my TV most of the time, but there are educational and Christian shows that they can watch and actually learn something from. I don’t condone doing this all the time, but Mama needs some breathing time. It’s the lesser of 2 evils–TV or me never getting any time to myself. Let me be quite frank, I can be pretty “evil” when I never get time to breathe! 😉 Turn the TV on for a few minutes…not hours. Just breathe.
Final Thoughts…
We are all busy people. It’s just a sign of the times we live in. We cannot use that as an excuse to never stop and retreat with the Lord. I am just as guilty as anyone else. I get so busy doing “things,” even things of the Lord, that I think I don’t have time to sit and just talk to God for a minute. I talk to Him while I am running to and fro, but where is the rest God promised in that?
I talk to Him while I am running to and fro, but where is the rest God promised in that? Click To TweetCome to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
No, we have to stop for a minute. Get away. Retreat. Love God with ALL of your soul, not just a little piece of it that is available while you are doing something else. Breathe.
How do you nourish your soul?
Sarah Philpott says
Yes. Yes. Yes. I do so much better as a mama when my soul has had quiet rest. To do this, my helper…Daniel Tiger…visits on a daily basis:) Thanks for your honesty & being realistic approach to parenting.
Sarah Philpott recently posted…You Make Me Brave| Guest Post by Rosemary Ferrera
Starla J says
Amen! We are recharged and strengthen our souls when we make time to rest and grow at Jesus’ feet.
andrea says
spending time with God – a great way to replenish our souls… 🙂
andrea recently posted…Over $30 In New Offers For You Today!
Kristen says
<3 this. Without nourishment, my soul dries up, and not only my ministry suffers, but my health and joy as well. Thanks for the reminder.
admin says
You make an excellent point. Our health and joy does get stolen as well. Isn’t it interesting how God created everything to work together? What a great God!
Carol Cassara says
It really IS important to take time out of our busy lives for a spiritual practice, no matter your belief.
Caroline @ In Due Time says
I love how you define ‘soul’ and i love the reminder to get away and retreat! So encouraging!
Caroline @ In Due Time recently posted…The Hurt of “How to” Get Pregnant
Sheila says
My children are grown, but I have to remember it is just as important for me to set aside time to reflect and recharge. We are all God’s children and rest is a gift from God. It was so important that He created a day of its own and rested himself. Sometimes, I forget it is just as important to nurture my soul as to minister to someone else. Thanks for sprinkling JesusGlitter on my heart today!
admin says
We all forget to reflect and recharge sometimes. I love your phrase and blog name, “Jesus Glitter!” Have a wonderful day!
Liz Mays says
It’s so personal in how we nourish our souls. Mine is nourished through sleep, so that’s what I do to refresh, but if TV is an escape… I’m all for that too.
Janell says
Talking to God while driving has been my jam as a mother of two young ones. I pray out loud so that my sweet toddler can hear my conversation with the Lord. There is time, but it means saying no to other things. Thank you for such an encouraging post. It’s so important to nourish our souls every day.
admin says
I love the idea of praying out loud so your toddler can hear! You are already planting seeds at a young age!
Aly says
Yes! Amen!
OurFamilyWorld says
I may be too busy, but I make sure I spend a few minutes with God. This brings me peace.
OurFamilyWorld recently posted…Cute & Simple Pom Pom Valentine’s Day Craft for Kids
Cathy says
Couldn’t agree more!!! Love how you dive into what a soul is! Perfectly and very well said!
Cathy
Cathy recently posted…Valentine’s Day Candy Bar Wrappers
Brianna says
You should read Alli Worthington’s Breaking Busy. SO good and it talks all about how busyness really rob us from living real life.
Brianna recently posted…Parenting Perspectives: Parenting a Child with Special Needs
admin says
Thanks for the suggestion. I love to read, but don’t like to waste time on bad books, so a suggestion is always welcome. I will definitely check it out!
Ranesha says
great post rest definitely recharges the soul. Headed to amazon now to check out the book price
Carol Cassara says
Living a soul-centered life is the only way to be happy. That kind of trust is so important to our spirituality.