Think about all the life that surrounds us. Plants have life. Insects have life. Animals have life. Even microbes have life. But I’d like to talk about the life we have as humans.
Our lives have three parts. Obviously, there is the physical part. This is the part that we (and everyone else) can see. Our physical bodies come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. We have different kinds of hair, different eyes, different smiles, different ways of speaking. Some of us are tall, some are small. We can be slender or round. Because it is the part we can see, we often focus on this part.
Physical bodies can be a source of pride, like with athletes or dancers. They take great pride in their body’s accomplishments, which they have worked hard to achieve. Even if we are not celebrated athletes, we also can be proud of our physical bodies when we exert the effort to care for them.
Physical bodies can also be a source of dissatisfaction. This often comes from comparing our physical appearance to someone else’s, or by listening to someone else’s unfavorable opinion of our appearance. We see this frequently in young women, but it certainly is not limited to that segment of the population. Many people are dissatisfied with at least one of their physical attributes.
However, our physical bodies are only one part of who we are, and even though it is what we see, it really isn’t where our focus should remain. The second part of us is our soul, which comes from the breath of life that God breathed into man at the beginning, (Genesis 2:7). A person’s soul is the part that makes them – them. Our soul is designed to govern our body. Our souls are even more distinctive than our bodies because they are not limited by physical constraints. They include our minds and our hearts. Emotions emanate from our minds. (Advertisers know this and capitalize on it.) The discipline to control our bodies comes from the convictions we have in our hearts and the decisions we make in our minds. Our outlook on life comes from the beliefs that we hold deep in our hearts, where our innermost thoughts and feelings reside.
The most wonderful thing about our souls is their uniqueness. And the most fascinating thing about our souls is that they can change. We readily accept that changes take place between childhood and adulthood in both body and soul. Neither our bodies nor our souls are the same as they were when we were children. But sometimes when people reach adulthood physically, they think their soul has reached its final growing state as well. Fortunately, that is not true. Our souls can be always growing and changing until we take our last breath. When we learn something new, we adjust our thinking. When we experience elation or heart-breaking situations, our souls adapt. I will qualify this by saying that our very deepest convictions may not change unless something greater than us comes along, which brings me to the third part of our lives…
When we got born again, we gained a third element of life, which is holy spirit. It is the gift that God gave us at that wonderful moment. It’s now part of who we are and should be our number 1 focus. It is an open line of communication with God, and it is a source of power in our lives. When our lives are working the way God designed, our spirits govern our souls, and our souls govern our bodies. Our innermost thoughts and feelings will be based on God’s truth. Our outlook on life will be determined by the guidance we receive from God’s words. And those God-based convictions will permeate our souls and further affect our physical bodies.
Think of how great life can be when we have all three parts working together in proper alignment. The spirit guiding our steps, our souls following with conviction and our bodies under control. This arrangement allows for the most freedom and greatest success. Because this lifestyle is one of Godly design, we have His assurance of support and guidance. We can tap into His resources and operate the power that holy spirit provides us. We can live a life that is more than abundant. We can have joy and peace that is not dependent on our surroundings. We can have the wisdom and understanding that God’s Word provides. We can shine as lights in this crooked and perverse nation, (Philippians 2:15). We can have a truly wonderful life!
There is so much more to life than what we see with our eyes. We cannot see the life that makes plants grow, but just about everyone appreciates the beauty of a flower. We can’t see an animal’s breath-life, but we like having pets and watching wildlife. We cannot see each other’s souls, but we fall in love when our souls connect. The greatest things in life are not seen, and what we do see wouldn’t exist without them.
When we recognize these invisible things in life, we must not forget about our gift of holy spirit. That gift is just as real as our breath, and just as vital. Oh, a person can live a long and healthy life without holy spirit, but his life on this earth is all that he’ll have. It is only with that spiritual connection to God that our victory is guaranteed. We have an abundant life now and eternal life to look forward to.
So, delight in the life you can’t see, and be thankful. Focus on the invisible parts of life and don’t allow all that your eyes see to distract you from what is really important. Let God’s Word direct your steps, live according to God’s design, and reap all the benefits that life has to offer.
Note to my readers: When you are beautiful on the inside, you will be beautiful on the outside too. Thanks for reading!