Hi guys,
I usually have a fairly good grasp on where to go with these emails; but every now and then I end up with just a vague idea/truth, and I'm stuck fumbling for words to explain why I think it's important. What I've felt reminded of recently is that people have souls. A simple truth, yes, but one with massive implications on how we should do life.
Genesis tells us that we are Imago Dei, made in the image of God. Every person born, lived, and died today was created to display God. A woman's beauty is not there to satisfy my eyes but to display God. My mother's selfless devotion to our family is not there for my convenience but to display God. A future marriage/family is not there to satisfy my needs and significance, but to display God. I find myself in constant need of that reminder, the tendency is always to see my own needs and desires first. That kind of selfishness tend to forget that the people in my life have souls and see them merely as an end towards fulfilling my needs and wants. Internalizing this truth that people are made in the image of God and have immortal souls should FREE us from an unhealthy preoccupation with seeing our own needs met and allows us to see the needs of others. It is a wonderfully liberating world view and one that, I would attest, leads to greater happiness. I think one of the first steps in building a gospel community that guides its members towards Christ-likeness, requires we see souls in each other.
I think seeing souls in others is an essential component in ministry and evangelism. A friend once said that ministry needs to be more than projects, it needs to be about people. Another friend, with regards to his research about homosexuality during seminary, said that this was not a dry subject for him, but that he sees the faces of his homosexual friends as he's reading the bible and works of godly men and as he tries to understand how best to minister to them. I agree with them. How knowing that our nonbelieving friends and family have either heaven or hell bound souls should move us to greater efforts in our evangelism.
Lastly, realizing that WE ourselves have souls should motivate us! What are we feeding our souls? Do we stuff ourselves on entertainment, on inflated opinions of ourselves and our needs, on the lie that our happiness and comfort is of the highest, absolute importance? Or do we feed our souls gospel truths that lead towards maturity in Christ; the humility to place others before us and count God's glory as weightier than our own?
Every drop of humanity, you and me included, are given by God an immortal soul. Encouragement for the week, see that soul in ourselves and in each other and act on that truth.
Have a happy Wednesday!
Edward
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them." Genesis 1:27-28a
"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others." Philippians 2:3-4
"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." 1 Peter 2:11
Break dancing baby. Its not just a kid being cute, he's actually got mad moves..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiNUkDnDMFA&feature=rec-LGOUT-farside_rn-2r-18-HM
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