Does Your Soul Suffer From Neglect?

June 2008

Does your soul suffer from neglect?

It’s not a question I ask myself religiously but maybe I should: “Have you paid attention to your soul lately?” This question has prayer written all over it. When we walk with the Master we cultivate the garden of our soul through an ongoing conversation with God.  Anytime we become aware of God’s presence in and around us we are paying attention to our souls. Our souls cradle our spirituality which is our experience of the Holy Spirit’s actions in us. This is a conversation with our soul, in God’s presence that is worth having regularly.

Some people don’t ask the question often enough. If you question people you’ll discover many are disconnected from their souls. For many it’s a backburner issue. Others defiantly see no value added to their lives by questioning their souls. But the soul cannot tolerate neglect. It is a demanding child. When neglected it exhibits anger, despair, and indifference. Minor things become major and major things get little attention. Make no mistake the soul is formed into the likeness of Christ with TLC. The Psalmists took the condition of the soul seriously (e.g. Psalm 42)?

The book of Psalms is the prayer book of the church. It was the prayer book of the Master whose walk we imitate. In it we find the pattern for our soul’s conversation with God in faith. By befriending the Psalter’s praises, thanks, complaints, laments, questioning, historical recitals of the doings of God, and other themes we learn how to pay attention to our souls.

I focus on the Psalms for the learning curve they provide for the pattern of our relationship with God. Their raw honesty shocks our sensitivities as individuals and communities of faith. Search within them and you will find spurts of hurts, jets of joy, thrusts of thanks, and streams of praise. Because of the sheer force of honest faith we eavesdrop on God-lovers’ doubts and hear screams of pain of unjust treatment. We witness the prolonged waiting for answers and the profound understanding of seeming abandonment, and rallying from abandonment. We consider outbursts of an anger gone amuck, delight in hopeful expressions of justice served, disappointment with life, answered prayers, and good news. A complete orbit of life!

Two voices are clearly heard in the Psalms: human and divine. I have already described the human voice. The voice of God is the voice of the good news: God hears, responds, and delivers from and through trouble. He is willing to meet the cries of our souls and continue the conversation of faith with us. As Walter Brueggemann says it, “The Psalms draw our entire life under the rule of God, where everything may be submitted to the God of the gospel.” 

At least three voices describe the soul’s condition in the Psalms. They have captured my attention for a long time. I will state them briefly now and will illustrate them with specific Psalms in future articles.

One is the voice of the deeply satisfied soul. Here, the words “It is well with my soul” are apt. The Lord is my shepherd and I lack nothing describe this condition well. This satisfaction gushes forth with thanks recognizing God’s constant blessings. Life is a song. The light of creation delights (Psalm 145). The goodness and mercy which follow bestow perfect peace and rest (Psalm 23). We are models of living with trust and confidence (Psalm 1). I sat on the 8th floor of Praia Mar Hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Lisbon, Portugal a month ago for morning prayers and told a friend: “the gentle waves’ coming and going remind me that all is right with the world, with my soul; God is on his throne, let the earth rejoice.”

Alas! Life changes; the soul gets disoriented. Satisfaction turns into a season of deep dissatisfaction. Here the soul moves from all is well to why me and woe is me. Rage and resentment settle in. Self-pity and hatred won’t be bribed away with a vacation, a new golf club, or a new TV program. Like the Phantom of the Opera’s victim our tears of joy turn into tears of hate. The soul is in painful disarray, in dire straits, lost in a dark tunnel, under a sea of trouble. What to do? Though disoriented, the soul knows what to do. It cries, it laments, it blames, and it magnifies the experience of hurt. (The soul hurts so much some sing a dirge in celebration of their birthday as Job did. Others are so blinded by pain’s anger that they wish death upon innocent children). The people of Psalm 60 feel the fear which comes from of the earth quaking beneath their tottering feet. The soul is so drunk with pain that life is not worth the living. The soul cannot ignore dissatisfaction. Misery is not far behind.

We dare not stay there. And thank God he will not allow us to mire in this condition of the soul. The soul must deal with its deep dissatisfaction before it can ride the waves of opportunity from the tunnel of despair into his marvelous light. The movement resumes; satisfaction returns. The soul has its three seasons: satisfaction, dissatisfaction, return of satisfaction. I paraphrase Josh Groban’s song: When I am down and life is so dreary; when trouble comes and my soul is weary; “you raise me up” from the valley of despair to the mountain of hope and “re-satisfaction”. Crucifixion is followed by resurrection. Grace lights up the dark tunnel; mercy shows the soul the way to joy; disarray loses its grip. Chaos is tamed and emptiness and void are filled with new creation (Psalm 22). The cyclones and earthquakes of life soon pass.

Have you been there, dear reader? Have you experienced these movements of the soul? Have you heard the three voices? Grace transforms us in these movements of life and soul? The isolating pain of absence turns to tears of joyful presence! Grief makes way to gratitude. Because life is constantly moving, the soul demands our attention and cultivation. This is as necessary as eating healthy meals. It satisfies.

The question again: “Have you paid attention to your soul lately?” It’s a good question. But it’s better to answer with a yes. Take time this week to question your soul. Consider the three voices described here. How would you answer? May the Master walk with you as you do! Identify the present orientation of your soul (satisfaction, dissatisfaction, a return to satisfaction).  Then let your soul walk a little with the Master.

Send this Column to a Friend






Past Columns

Return to top