Your soul is the immortal part of your spiritual makeup. It is the seat of your thoughts, will and emotional well-being. It’s where most decisions are made whether good or bad. It’s the part of you that matters most to God, because as I stated it is immortal. In a world where billions of dollars are spent on making the outside look good, the soul is suffering from a lack of rest.
Jesus said these words: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
Matthew 11:28-29 KJV
What exactly is “soul rest?” It’s a tranquil place of undisturbed quiet in spirit it’s a life at peace with its Creator. It’s a place where agitation never takes root. Jesus displayed that soul rest throughout His time here on earth. Nothing disturbed His peace. The storms couldn’t, the accusers couldn’t and the cross did not. He lived in a constant state of soul rest one with the Father at all times. In the verses above He told us how we could too. In Him. He found it in His closeness with His Father, and we will find it in our closeness with Him.
Mental health is being branded about as one of the greatest diseases of our time. What creates mental anguish and suffering? Soul overload. We were not meant to carry the stresses of life without our Helper. When we choose to ignore the warning signs of the Holy Spirit we fall into a place of restlessness. We take on more than we can handle to climb the corporate ladder, we stress ourselves out to achieve what God hasn’t ordained to impress others. Striving for things that will never satisfy. Bigger and better comes with bigger headaches. Am I advocating for underachieving? Of course not. Not all stress is bad. But the stress that causes mental anguish and breakdown is not of God. The things we blame on God or the devil, is most often our own doing.
“Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”
Isaiah 55:2-3 KJV
The rat race of life is a rest stealer. We gather and store up things only to find after all your labor that it still hasn’t brought satisfaction nor rest. More money, the bigger house, the luxury car, keeping up with the Jones’ whoever they are, hasn’t brought the rest we thought we’d have. The bigger house is more work lol especially if it’s brought added stress. What we think will bring rest outside of the will of God, has only created more anxiety. This is what the Lord says of His blessings:
“True enrichment comes from the blessing of the Lord, with rest and contentment in knowing that it all comes from Him.”
Proverbs 10:22 TPT
Did you get that? When God is doing the blessing, when we’re not striving, then rest and contentment comes to our souls. Unconfessed sin is another rest stealer. David in Psalm 32 says when he kept quiet about his sin his bones became brittle. That’s anguish of soul. A lack of peace will rot away our souls. I’m sure that most of what we label as mental health is unconfessed sins. Secrets that need to be released to a loving Savior. We were not designed for a life of turmoil. The place of our beginning was in a beautiful garden. Even though it was a place that required Adam to work, the daily presence of God brought rest to Adam.
The Father desires in Christ to bring us back to the place of soul rest. But we must choose to accept His invitation. We must guard our souls against the agitations of this life. There’s always going to be peace stealers, but we must resist them by speaking to ourselves the Word of God. David spoke to his soul in Psalm 42. We’re not immune to disturbances, but we don’t have to let them get inside us. While the storm was raging and the disciples were rowing frantically, Jesus was asleep. Luke 8. I can see Daniel using one of the Lions as a pillow. Daniel 6. I can see the Hebrew boys enjoying the fire like air conditioning. Daniel 3. Peter fell asleep chained to two soldiers and I’m sure they weren’t sleeping Acts 12. Paul and Silas had a concert while their bodies were tore up by the beatings they had endured. Acts 16. What made the difference? Soul rest. Resting in the presence and promises of God. The enemy knows that a soul at rest in God is a soul he cannot defeat. A soul confident in God is a soul that has learned how to rest.
Whenever we enter any situation from a place of rest, we will come out victoriously. This rest allows us to be one with the Holy Spirit. We need to strive to enter and remain in that place. When I hear of a pastor or believer taking their lives, it hurts. Those individuals gave up their rest. Whatever mental anguish they were facing overpowered them. Jesus suffered great mental anguish in the garden of Gethsemane, but He overcame it by submitting to His Father’s will. We try to overcome by our own efforts . Find out what has caused the disturbance in your soul, and go from there. Whatever the Holy Spirit reveals, quickly submit it. Exposing whatever it is will lead to restored peace and rest.
Anxiety, agitations, fear, worry, stress, just writing those words exposes their root. Satan. He’s all about keeping our souls in turmoil. You can almost feel the tension. But when we have found the Anchor of our souls, Jesus Christ, we experience real peace, rest, joy, love, hope, quietness, contentment and tranquility. Jesus is called Prince of peace, He’s the rest our souls desires and needs. Accept His invitation today, let the warmth of His presence drive out whatever wants to rob you of your rest in Christ. Leave worry and the cares of this world behind. He left His peace with us, not the superficial peace the world peddles through acquisition of more stuff. But real lasting peace.
Jesus said: “I leave the gift of peace with you—My peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but My perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!”
John 14:27 TPT
I’ll close with these timely words from the apostle Paul:
“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ. So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always. Follow the example of all that we have imparted to you and the God of peace will be with you in all things.”
Philippians 4:6-9 TPT
Having these wonderful passages to encourage us, let us hold firmly to the hope we have in Christ Jesus, enjoying undisturbed peace and rest in our souls by avoiding rest stealers. Give no place to the enemy. Another translation of the above scripture reads like this:
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Philippians 4:8 KJV
The whatsoever things mentioned above, if we find and focus on them, is the surest way to keeping our souls at rest.
Father God, in the Name of the Prince of peace Jesus our Redeemer, we ask You to help us regain our peace. The world has thrown so much at us these past few months that we’re reeling from the effects of it all. Help us regain the place of soul rest we enjoyed with You. We abandon everything that robs us of soul rest, focusing on Your Word once again as our anchor. Thank you for speaking peace to us by Your Spirit. In Jesus Name. Amen
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
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