Guarding Our Souls, Part 3— How to Keep Our Souls

In Part 1, we learned about our “soul” responsibility to wait upon God and maintain our souls. In Part 2, we saw how God designed our souls to be the connection between our physical and spiritual life. We will see the how of keeping our souls: seeking God first, staying our minds, knowing how much to know, setting our thoughts on things above, and not setting our thoughts on earthly things.

How to Keep Our Souls: Seeking God First

When David faced immense spiritual, mental, and physical pressure, He sought God’s help in his thoughts. His soul thirsted for God. He meditated on God day and night, and his soul (thoughts) followed hard after God.

Psalms 63:1-8:
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

Have you ever felt bad because your friend just mentioned something that you hadn’t yet seen on social media? Or have you raced to your computer to find out the latest online news that everyone else is talking about? What about keeping up with the latest television programming for the new season? We are bombarded and directed to a multitude of thoughts each day.

David also had a “multitude” of thoughts within him. Yet, in the midst of the world’s confusion, hurt, and lies that he faced, David’s soul was comforted with God’s loving defense and refuge.

Psalms 94:19,22:
In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
But the Lord is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.

How to Keep Our Souls: Staying Our Minds

One key to keeping our souls is to stay our minds, our thoughts, upon the Lord. After all, God is a firm Rock, standing faithfully and firmly for us throughout all ages!

Isaiah 26:3,4:
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace [peace, peace: absolute peace], whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength [the Rock of all ages].

The Book of Proverbs is full of meaningful admonitions on how to appreciate and follow our heavenly Father. When we respect Him, He gives us knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.

Proverbs 1:7:
The fear [respect] of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 2:3-5:
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear [respect] of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 18:15,16:
The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

To receive the best results in life, we need to receive God’s counsel and instruction. We have so many thoughts and plans of our own, but it is only the Lord’s counsel, His thoughts to us, that will stand.

Proverbs 19:20,21:
Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

How to Keep Our Souls: Knowing How Much to Know

Ecclesiastes 4:6:
Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

Have you ever taken more than you can eat and decided to eat it anyway? That can lead to indigestion and a bloated, unhappy feeling. My Mom sometimes told me “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.” That can happen to our souls with all of the social media and internet information available to us today. Often when walking near our home, I almost run into people who are looking down at their phones, oblivious to what is around them. This is not only dangerous and can lead to accidents, but also robs people of the joy of life that they could be experiencing.

Jesus Christ was not distracted from the fellowship he had with His Father by the things around him. He knew that the greatest treasure in life was keeping his thoughts on our loving Creator.

Matthew 6:19-22,25:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures [thoughts] upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures [thoughts]  in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure [thoughts] is, there will your heart be also.
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Jesus Christ spoke to those living in a culture that understood “treasures” meant thoughts. They were not to keep their thoughts on how to get through another day with food and clothing. Their heavenly Father would take care of that as they trusted Him. Instead, they should be filled with the light of God’s Word so that they could enjoy righteous fellowship with Him.

Matthew 6:33,34:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Jesus had read Ecclesiastes 4:6. He did not want them to have “both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.” There is plenty of evil each day to not worry about tomorrow. We will have rest as we come unto Jesus Christ. He was meek and lowly in heart. He received with meekness the implanted Word of God. That is how we make our burdens light and find rest to our souls!

Matthew 11:28-30:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

How to Keep Our Souls: Setting Our Thoughts on Things Above

Jesus knew how to end one day and begin the next. Prayer time, opening his soul to the Father, was vital to his success as our savior and lord.

Mark 1:35:
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he [Jesus Christ] went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Perhaps a modern translation of this verse describing many people today would be: “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and grabbed his cell phone and began to text and surf the Web.”

Some of my favorite moments in life have been quietly praying for others and knowing that I was making intercession to my Father for them. Early morning is a wonderful time to “get into the day” with Him. Before bedtime, I like to read the Word and think back on all the good things that my “Daddy” has done for me that day. There are plenty of challenges in between, so I like to set and end my day with the peaceful and loving fellowship that God provides.

Jesus Christ knew that the world offers tribulation: mental pressure from doubt, worry, and fear. But he said we could “be of good cheer”—we can have our thoughts well arranged. As we believe the things he spoke, as we go faithfully to the scriptures, we too will overcome the world!

John 16:33:
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation [mental pressure]: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Knowing who we are and what we have in Christ is the key to our mental health and wholeness. Being born again and receiving Christ allows us to walk each day in him. We can think the Word and get rooted and built up in what Christ has accomplished for us.

Each believer can study the scriptures and take time in prayer to be established in the faith. We work together with others in the body of Christ to teach and learn the truth. Then we abound with thanksgiving for all of God’s goodness to us.

Colossians 2:6,7:
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

How to Keep Our Souls: Not Setting Our Thoughts on Earthly Things

This requires us to avoid the negative thinking that the adversary constantly promotes. We are aware of the evil around us, but we don’t buy into its lies and deceitful traps.

I noticed a birdcage a couple of days ago. It was very stylish and beautifully designed to allow its occupant to see through the shiny bars. But a bird would still be entrapped in this prison. Similarly, Satan tries to keep us in his cage of doubt, worry, and fear—complete with the latest technology and backed by currently accepted public opinion.

A big key to not setting our thoughts on earthly things is to realize that our completeness is in what God has done for us in Christ, not in what philosophies and traditions say about us. We are not bound in our thinking by the rudiments of the world, for in Christ we are greater than Satan’s principalities and powers.

Colossians 2:8-10:
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.

When God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, we were raised with him. That is why we set our affection, our thoughts, on things above. We do not allow the adversary to keep us focused on earthly, temporal things. Our lives are hid with Christ in God. And we look forward to his glorious return for us.

Colossians 3:1-4:
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
For ye are dead [to this world], and your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Jesus said “ye shall find rest unto your souls.” He promised “that in me ye might have peace.” By letting the Word of God dwell richly in us, we know who we are in Christ. Believers teach and admonish each other in love because we are part of the body of Christ. Then we can let the peace of God rule in our hearts.

Colossians 3:15-17:
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

How do we give thanks to God, our heavenly Father? By keeping our souls, our thoughts, on Him. We speak forth His praises and don’t forget to share fully with Him and each other. As the God of peace, Who raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, our Father will help us. He will work in us to do what is well-pleasing to Him.

Hebrews 13:15,16,20,21:
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Healthy Soul Food

After seeing our “soul” responsibility to wait upon God and maintain our souls, how God designed our souls to be the connection between or physical and spiritual life, and practical keys on how to keep our souls—what have we learned?

You have the free will to think what you decide to think. The Creator gave us a body with soul-life that works perfectly together.  Every person born into the world can enjoy this beautiful arrangement.

But even greater, God designed His gift of holy spirit to give us information that goes beyond our five-senses, soul-life understanding. We can know Him personally as a Father—in our souls—as we read His Word and walk by the spirit. What a joy to put on the truth each day and grow spiritually strong and healthy on a diet of God’s Word. Eat up, your soul will love it!