We are triune beings with a body, a soul, (mind, will and emotions), and a spirit. Our spirit becomes born again when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and becomes the dwelling place of God's Spirit within us. Our soul, (our mind, will and emotions), becomes restored as we cooperate with God, His Word and His Spirit in the renewing of our mind and the restoring of our soul.
I often think of our spirit, filled with God's Spirit, as the strong place in the life of the believer, an inner fortress and refuge . (Another analogy would be to liken the body, soul and spirit to the outer court, holy place and the holy of holies in the Old Testament tabernacle.) When trials come, our body can be affected. It can suffer from sickness, from accidents, and from stress. Our mind, will and emotions can also be affected. In times of trial, our mind can be attacked with thoughts of worry, fear and anxiety. Our emotions can be in turmoil. Our will can be frozen, not knowing what to do, what decisions or choices need to be made. Or, our will can be overactive, trying anything and everything to make the trial and trouble stop. The body and soul can both be affected and unreliable in times of trouble. But, if you sift through the body's pain or discomfort, when you dig past the unruliness of the mind, will and emotions and learn to sense what is going on in your spirit, you will find that there is a strong place within you that can withstand the storms that come your way. The human spirit that is filled with the Spirit of God is a powerfully strong thing. Suffering cannot conquer it. Persecution cannot silence it. Injustice cannot prevail against it. (Join me for the rest of this post on Sunday, June 12th, at Woman to Woman Ministries where each Sunday I share a bit of Sunday Soul Food!)
still following,
I'm eager to read the rest of this post (apparently not "up" yet at the other site). I've been studying the body, spirit, soul subject - finding it especially interesting as it relates to my mother's dementia...
ReplyDeleteWith my mother in law, it seems her "spirit" knows us, knows we mean something to her, yet her mind doesn't remember us.
DeleteThis is a good reminder for me, Elizabeth, as I'm planning my Dad's memorial over the next couple of months. The planning is bringing the grief back anew and I need to, once again, focus on Him to carry me through. Thank you for your encouraging words today, friend.
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