Living Life From the Soul

“…the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,

…and the man became a living soul.” Gen. 2:7 NIV/KJV

“The tragedy of man is not that we die, but that which dies in us while we still live.”

– Albert Schweitzer

We were designed by God to live life one way . . . from the soul.  For some reason, however, more often than not, most end up living life in almost every other way except that one.

When a young adult begins to discover how to tap the resources of their soul, they find a virtually inexhaustible supply of strength, motivation, wisdom and character from which to build a life pleasing to God.  I have watched countless people come alive to it.  When we finally find some of our own soul potential [i.e.: the “measure of faith”, or our God-given capacity for spiritual insights and power], we are typically nothing short of amazed at the overlooked and potent reservoir for life it represents; I have experienced that excitement and seen that amazement register on awakened faces again and again.  It is a wonder to behold.

What I am referring to when I speak of a person’s soul is the inward life or self of a person.  It is marked by our vital drives and desires.  It is the seat of emotion and will, the “I” of the individual.  The soul refers to the inner self, the fountain of our passions and emotions . . . a “thermostat” of sorts.  Our souls can be corrupted by the influence of the world and sin, or they can be powerfully shaped and tapped by the influence of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

The soul of man is the part of us that is awakened and enlivened through a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ (i.e., our “souls” are “saved”).  When we take on a Christ-centered lifestyle and commitment, we discover that our soul breaks open into a fountain of purpose, power and godly passion that has the potential of filling our entire life and richly blessing those around us.  One of the central messages of the Bible is that God wants every person, through His Son’s example, to rediscover what it means to live life from the soul.