Are you the captain of your soul? No, says John Ortberg.
No, I am its keeper, not its captain. I did not make it, and I cannot save it from death.Read more here.
That’s why soul-care is a different task than self-care. I do not care for my soul only for my own sake. It is only mine on loan, and it is coming due soon.
In the ancient Middle East, trees were rare. Rain was scarce. Deserts were plentiful. But if a tree were planted by a river, it was no longer dependent on uncertain weather or the surface condition of the soil. It could flourish at all times because its roots allowed the water to stream into each part of the tree to bring it life. You couldn’t see the roots, but no one could miss the green leaves or fresh fruit.
Our soul is like an inner stream of water that gives strength, direction, and harmony to every other area of life.
We will always take the most care of that which we value most deeply.
We beat up on ourselves or worse, on others. We may find temporary relief from that, but the soul still cries for attention.
The next time you blow something — when you’re frightened, when you’re dissatisfied — instead of mindless self-talk, speak to your soul: “Why are you afraid, O my soul?”
At first it might seem a little silly, but remember, you are the keeper of your soul. Only you.
Not long ago I got really angry at somebody. Finally I literally stopped in my tracks because I was so immersed in anger and said, “Soul, why are you so angry?”
Something interesting happened. I found that I just began to pray, and it was like God saying to me, “John, you are not your anger.” It’s like my soul had a place to stand with God, and we could talk sensibly about my anger, even as it ebbed from my soul.
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